Ozone Dissolved in Water: An Innovative Tool for the Production of Young Plants in Grapevine Nurseries?

ABSTRACT

Grapevine trunk diseases can infect nursery plants at different stages of propagation. Here, we evaluated the efficiency of aqueous ozone against two fungi associated with trunk diseases (Phaeoacremonium minimum and Phaeomoniella chlamydospora). The effect of ozone on the plant growth is also studied. Aqueous ozone completely suppressed spore germination in vitro. In planta fungal development was reduced six weeks post-inoculation. In the nursery, ozone treatment was comparable to the usual chemical treatment. Irrigation with aqueous ozone had no negative effects on plant growth. These anti-fungal properties and the absence of phytotoxicity make ozone a promising alternative for controlling microbial infection in nurseries.

KEYWORDS:

• Ozone
• grapevine trunk diseases
• P. minimum
• P. chlamydospora
• fungicide
• plant development

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the French ministry and the Occitanie region for funding grant number 14051127. We are also thankful to Pépinières Daydé, for putting their facilities and expertise at our disposal.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the CLE project funded by Région Occitanie (CLE Pepinière – 14051127)