Grapevines are attacked mainly by creeping blight, but also by some stem borer fungi that colonise the wood of shrubs and trees. They are more frequent when the planting density is higher or where the vine grower uses mechanised pruning. “Once inoculated on the root system, the bacterium enters the wood of the plant where it promotes root growth by about 20-50%. If the pathogen is present in the plant’s tissue, the bacterium is able to slow or stop its growth, or in the case of artificially inoculated seedlings, it slows down the colonisation of the wood by the pathogen, which occurs precisely under conditions of stress, especially in summer,” described Ales Eichmeier from the Faculty of Horticulture at MENDELU.

The research team is finding out what antibiotics are contained in the substances that the bacteria secrete into their environment. The length of time that bacteria can survive in the plant microbiome is not yet verified. “In parallel, Rovensa Next, with whom we have a cooperation agreement, is testing the use of the bacterium not only against fungal pathogens of the vine, but also within other crops, including cereals, so that the product has the greatest commercial reach. They are also working on the formulation of the bacterium, that is, in what form it could be finally sold,” the scientist outlined.

Diseases of caraway vines cause rapid or gradual death of whole plants, both seedlings and older bushes. Due to climate change, symptoms are more frequent. Scientists estimate that these diseases affect up to a fifth of all vineyards worldwide, making them the most significant threat. The Czech Republic is no exception to this; the financial losses associated with replanting dead plants can run into hundreds of millions of crowns a year. “It can be said that fungal pathogens are now ubiquitous, they are mostly endophytic and do not cause damage, but their virulence is triggered by a combination of stress factors such as high temperatures and drought, and the susceptibility of the variety is also important,” said Eichmeier.

The bacteria were brought to Lednice a few years ago by Algerian scientist Akila Berraf-Tebbal, who participated in research on the potential of nanomaterials in agricultural practice within the framework of the OP VVV project. Currently, Mendeleum – Institute of Genetics has signed a cooperation agreement with the multinational company Oro Agri, which is part of the Rovensa Next community. “We are cooperating with the Institute of Microbiology of the CAS, the Laboratory of Fungal Genetics and Metabolism and the Faculté des Sciences et Technologies Nancy in the analysis of exudates,” Eichmeier said.