Characterisation of secondary metabolites produced by Australian species of Botryosphaeriaceae involved in grapevine trunk diseases

Botryosphaeria dieback is considered a serious problem in Australian vineyards and world-wide the disease is caused by at least 27 species of Botryosphaeriaceae causing wood cankers (Fig. 1a), dieback and eventually death of vines. The disease is also associated with foliar symptoms (Fig. 1b) including yellowish-orange spots on white cultivars or wine-red spots on red cultivars but these symptoms have not been reported in Australian vineyards to date. This study investigates the phytotoxin production of the most widespread and virulent Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with the disease in Australia.