The viral disease complex of grapevine infectious degeneration and its association with grapevine fan leaf virus in Albania

Recent studies have shown that major grapevine viruses for the Mediterranean region are prevalent in the native cultivars that have been grown for long in Albanian vineyards. Infectious Degeneration disease complex caused by Grapevine Fan Leaf Virus (GFLV), and other viruses, comprises a common phenotype in the field, but GFLV detection in random samplings has shown low frequency. In the present study we aimed at evaluating the association between Infectious Degeneration phenotype in the field and GFLV in the native cultivar Kallmet, by using DAS-ELISA of extracts from lignified canes of symptomatic plants. The results showed that Infectious Degeneration phenotype is widely spread but only 20% of the tested symptomatic plants were found positive for GFLV indicating that other viruses involved in the disease complex may account for the phenotype in the field. It is suggested that the full set of viral agents involved in Infectious Degeneration disease complex be tested to understand their implication in the disease phenotype.