Vein Banding, a New Virus Disease of Grapevines

Abstract

Vein banding, a new virus disease of grapes in California, is characterized by yellow mottling or chrome yellow bands along the principal veins of leaves of affected vinifera grape varieties, particularly during summer and fall. Fruit production and wood growth from affected vines are reduced. The leaf symptoms on rootstock varieties are blotch mottling, line pattern, and veinlet clearing.

Vein banding is graft-transmissible by chip-bud grafts and is soil-borne. A nematode, Xiphinema index, is associated with the roots of vines where the disease spreads in the soil.

Symptoms of vein banding are similar to those of yellow vein and yellow mosaic. The diseases can be separated, by close observation of symptom development and by graft-transmission studies with the rootstock varieties Kober 5BB and St. George.

Vein banding is widely distributed in many areas of California and occurs in many different varieties of vinifera and rootstock grapes. It also occurs in Washington State.