**Acknowledgements**

The author is thankful to Professor Qamar Abbas Naqvi, Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, for providing necessary help in writing this chapter.

[8] Silhavy D, Burgyan J. Effects and side effects of viral RNA silencing suppressors on short RNAs. Trends in Plant Science. 2004;**9**:76-83. DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2003.12.010

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[12] Csorba T, Aurelie B, Tamas D, Jozsef B. The p122 subunit of tobacco mosaic virus replicase is a potent silencing suppressor and compromises both small interfering RNAand microRNA-mediated pathways. Journal of Virology. 2007;**81**:11768-11780. DOI: 10.1128/

[13] Yu B, Chapman EJ, Yang Z, Carrington JC, Chen X. Transgenically expressed viral RNA silencing suppressors interfere with microRNA methylation in Arabidopsis. FEBS

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[15] Kasschau KD, Xie Z, Allen E, Llave C, Chapman EJ, Krizan KA, Carrington JC. P1/ HC-Pro, a viral suppressor of RNA silencing, interferes with Arabidopsis development and miRNA function. Developmental Cell. 2003;**4**:205-217. DOI: 10.1016/

[16] Bazzini AA, Hop HE, Beachy RN, Asurmendi S. Infection and coaccumulation of tobacco mosaic virus proteins alter microRNA levels, correlating with symptom and plant development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of

[17] Mlotshwa S, Gail JP, Angela P, Endres MW, Li J, Chen X, Scot RP, Lewis HB, Vance V. DICER-LIKE2 plays a primary role in transitive silencing of transgenes in Arabidopsis.

[18] Anandalakshmi R, Pruss GJ, Ge X, Marathe R, Smith TH, Vance VB. A viral suppressor of gene silencing in plants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the

[19] Endres MW, Gregory BD, Gao Z, Foreman AW, Mlotshwa S, Ge X. Two plant viral suppressors of silencing require the ethylene-inducible host transcription factor RAV2 to block RNA silencing. PLoS Pathogens. 2010;**6**(1):1-13. DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000729

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## **Conflict of interest**

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

## **Author details**

Muzafar Ahmad Sheikh

Address all correspondence to: sheikhmuzafar4@gmail.com

Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India

## **References**


[8] Silhavy D, Burgyan J. Effects and side effects of viral RNA silencing suppressors on short RNAs. Trends in Plant Science. 2004;**9**:76-83. DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2003.12.010

**Acknowledgements**

110 Advances in Plant Pathology

**Conflict of interest**

**Author details**

**References**

Muzafar Ahmad Sheikh

The author is thankful to Professor Qamar Abbas Naqvi, Department of Botany, Aligarh

[1] Matzke MA, Primig M, Trnovsky J, Matzke AJ. Reversible methylation and inactivation of marker genes in sequentially transformed tobacco plants. The EMBO Journal.

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[3] Vaucheret H. Post-transcriptional small RNA pathways in plants: Mechanisms and regulations. Genes and Development. 2006;**20**:759-771. DOI: 10.1101/gad.1410506

[4] Fagard M, Vaucheret H. Trans gene silencing in plants: How many mechanisms? Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology. 2000;**51**:167-194. DOI: 10.1146/

[5] Ding SW, Vionnet O.Antiviral immunity directed by small RNAs. Cell. 2007;**130**:413-426.

[6] Lakatos L, Csorba T, Pantaleo V, Chapman EJ, Carrington JC, Liu YP, Burgyán J. Small RNA binding is a common strategy to suppress RNA silencing by several viral suppres-

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**Section 4**

**Advances in Molecular Plant Pathology**


**Advances in Molecular Plant Pathology**

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[21] Arto JS, Balaji J, Kirsi L. HC-Pro silencing suppressor significantly alters the gene expression profile in tobacco leaves and flowers. BMC Plant Biology. 2011;**11**:68. DOI:

[22] Xiang Liu LH, Kuant TJ. Tombusvirus P19 RNA silencing suppressor (RSS) activity in mammalian cells correlates with charged amino acids that contribute to direct RNA-

[23] Voinnet O, Pinto YM, Baulcombe DC. Suppression of gene silencing: A general strategy used by diverse DNA and RNA viruses of plants. Proceedings of the National Academy

[24] Wenping Q, Jong-Won, Herman BS. Tombusvirus P19-mediated suppression of virusinduced gene silencing is controlled by genetic and dosage features that influence patho-

[25] Zhang J, Dong J, Xu Y, Wu J. V2 protein encoded by tomato yellow leaf curl China virus is an RNA silencing suppressor. Virus Research. 2012;**163**:51-58. DOI: 10.1016/j.

[26] Levy A, Dafny-Yelin M, Tzfira T. Attacking the defenders plant viruses fight back.

[27] Luna AP, Rodríguez-Negrete EA, Morilla G, Wang L, Lozano-Durán R, Castillo AG, Bejarano ER. V2 from a curtovirus is a suppressor of post-transcriptional gene silencing.

[28] Almasi R, Miller WA, Ziegler-Graff V. Mild and severe cereal yellow dwarf viruses differ in silencing suppressor efficiency of the P0 protein. Virus Research. 2015;**208**:199-206.

[29] Fusaro AF, Correa RL, Nakasugi K, Jackson C, Kawchuk L, Vaslin MF, Waterhouse PM. The Enamovirus P0 protein is a silencing suppressor which inhibits local and systemic RNA silencing through AGO1 degradation. Virology. 2012;**01**:026. DOI: 10.1016/j.

[30] Zhuo T, Li YY, Xiang HY, Wu ZY, Wang XB, Wang Y, Zhang YL, Li DW, Yu JL, Han CG. Amino acid sequence motifs essential for P0-mediated suppression of RNA silencing in an isolate of potato leafroll virus from Inner Mongolia. Molecular Plant-Microbe

Interactions. 2014;**27**:515-527. DOI: 10.1094/MPMI-08-13-0231-R

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genicity. The American Phytopathological Society. 2011;**15**:269-280

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10.1186/1471-2229-11-68

virusres.2011.08.009

DOI: 10.1016/j

virol.2012.01.026

**Chapter 7**

**Provisional chapter**

**Developing an Online Grapevine Trunk Disease**

**Developing an Online Grapevine Trunk Disease** 

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.74946

We face critical challenges in educating growers on wood-canker diseases of grapevines. Unlike other major diseases that appear every year with obvious symptoms (e.g., powdery mildew of grape), wood-canker diseases are often go unnoticed, yet they have more certain and detrimental effects on the plants. Because of this lack of sensational symptom development within a short period, it is difficult for agricultural educators to convince the growers to take urgent action. Modes of delivering extension-related information are changing. Reduced extension education budgets and changes in growers' expectations have led to fewer of the standard, face-to-face meetings between extension agents and growers, and instead, have shifted toward distance-learning style approaches. In order to address these issues, we have developed a new web-based pictorial diagnostic key tool for grapevine trunk diseases. This tool aids users to determine a target grapevine trunk disease using a series of pictorial keys from different tissues of grapevines (leaves, trunks, cluster, etc.). Once enough information is obtained, it will provide the user a list of recommendations for management. This tool covers not only trunk diseases, but also some bacterial diseases and abiotic disorders that are similar in symptom expressions. It

is hosted at treeandvinetrunkdiseases.org, and the website is freely available.

**Keywords:** grapevine, trunk disease, abiotic disorder, diagnostic, application, web

Various trunk diseases of grapevines affect the grape production around the world [1]. The causal agents of grapevine trunk diseases constitute a complex of fungi mainly belonging to the filamentous Pezizomycotina, which belongs to Ascomycota. Common diseases are

> © 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

© 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,

distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.74946

**Diagnostic Aid**

**Abstract**

**1. Introduction**

**Diagnostic Aid**

Mizuho Nita

Mizuho Nita

#### **Developing an Online Grapevine Trunk Disease Diagnostic Aid Developing an Online Grapevine Trunk Disease Diagnostic Aid**

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.74946

#### Mizuho Nita Mizuho Nita

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.74946

#### **Abstract**

We face critical challenges in educating growers on wood-canker diseases of grapevines. Unlike other major diseases that appear every year with obvious symptoms (e.g., powdery mildew of grape), wood-canker diseases are often go unnoticed, yet they have more certain and detrimental effects on the plants. Because of this lack of sensational symptom development within a short period, it is difficult for agricultural educators to convince the growers to take urgent action. Modes of delivering extension-related information are changing. Reduced extension education budgets and changes in growers' expectations have led to fewer of the standard, face-to-face meetings between extension agents and growers, and instead, have shifted toward distance-learning style approaches. In order to address these issues, we have developed a new web-based pictorial diagnostic key tool for grapevine trunk diseases. This tool aids users to determine a target grapevine trunk disease using a series of pictorial keys from different tissues of grapevines (leaves, trunks, cluster, etc.). Once enough information is obtained, it will provide the user a list of recommendations for management. This tool covers not only trunk diseases, but also some bacterial diseases and abiotic disorders that are similar in symptom expressions. It is hosted at treeandvinetrunkdiseases.org, and the website is freely available.

**Keywords:** grapevine, trunk disease, abiotic disorder, diagnostic, application, web

## **1. Introduction**

Various trunk diseases of grapevines affect the grape production around the world [1]. The causal agents of grapevine trunk diseases constitute a complex of fungi mainly belonging to the filamentous Pezizomycotina, which belongs to Ascomycota. Common diseases are

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Botryosphaeria canker, Eutypa dieback, Phomopsis dieback, and Esca (also known as Petri disease). Damages caused by these diseases vary in the expression of symptoms. Damages can be made on fruiting structures (spurs, rachis, etc.), trunks and cordons, and/or the vascular system. Infection may result in delaying of fruit ripening and/or overall decline of vines [2]. Since these diseases can affect the trunk of grapevines, which is a semipermanent structure for grape production, the impact of trunk diseases is long-term, and often time, the only remedy is the replacement of infected vines [3].

able to install the app. Moreover, if there is a major update on either of the operating system, the application may require an update. In the worst-case scenario, these operation system

Developing an Online Grapevine Trunk Disease Diagnostic Aid

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117

On the other hand, with an application on the website, we can focus our resources on one location. If we keep the coding simple, users do not need to install any application on their devices. Since it is basically a website, any devices with a web browser can access the information. This lack of dependency on the platform helps to reach out more audiences since some

Therefore, we developed our application on a remote web server that hosts our website. The content management system was WordPress (Wordpress.org), and coding was a combination of the HTML and the CSS. Using a template of WordPress that was designed to automatically scale and place menu items based on the platform that was accessing the website, we devel-

As noted earlier, although this application has a name associated with grapevine trunk diseases, it handles more than trunk diseases. **Table 1** shows the list of diseases and disorders

Fungal disease Botryosphaeria canker *Botryosphaeria* spp.: *B. australis*, *B. dothidea*, *B. lutea*, *B. obtusa*, *B.* 

Esca, Petri disease *Phaeomoniella chlamydospora*

Eutypa dieback *Eutypa lata* [4] Phomopsis dieback *Phomopsis viticola*

Pierce's disease *Xylella fastidiosa* [10]

*parva*, *B. rhodina*, and *B. stevensii* [7]

Phytoplasma (related to *Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni* [11]

*Phaeoacremonium minimum* Other *Phaeoacremonium* species [8]

Crown gall *Rhizobium vitis* (also known as *Agrobacterium vitis*) [9]

updates can make the application entirely useless.

growers may not be as technologically perceptive as the others may.

oped a mobile- (or smartphone-) ready website with ease.

**Type Common name Causal agent**

North American Grapevine

Other physical injuries such as cold

**Table 1.** Diseases and abiotic disorders that are covered in the trunk disease app.

Yellows (NAGY)

Nutrient deficiencies

and hail damage

Frost damage

that are covered by the application.

Bacterial disease

Abiotic disorder

**3. Diseases and disorders covered by the application**

Unfortunately, field identification of these trunk diseases is challenging because symptoms are very similar to each other. For example, *Botryosphaeria* spp., *Phomopsis viticola*, and *Eutypa lata* can cause dead spurs and cordons. In fact, there was a confusion on the causal agent of grapevine "dead arm" disease where people discussed whether this disease was caused by *Eutypa* or *Phomopsis* [4]. There are some characteristic symptoms such as discoloration of leaves (called tiger striping) of Esca, but it can vary year-to-year [5], or as in symptoms of Eutypa, symptom expression may depend on the environmental factors [6].

Moreover, there are a number of other causes, from biotic factors such as bacterial infection by Pierce's disease pathogen, *Xylella fastidiosa*, to abiotic factors such as winter cold injury that can cause similar symptoms because these factors damage the vascular system of grapevines. Depending on the cause of the problem, management practice will differ; however, extension publications, such as Fact sheets, tend to describe only one or a few diseases. To learn all the possible causes, growers need to read several sources of information. This situation makes more difficult for growers as well as extension and agricultural educators to communicate about diseases and disorders associated with the grapevine trunk.

In order to address this complex issue, with a collaboration of the project PI, Dr. Kendra Baumgartner at USDA/ARS at Davis, CA, USA, we launched a new website (treeandvinetrunkdisease.org) ('trunk disease website' hereafter). This website is designed not only to distribute information on current research topics by a group of researchers but also to provide trunk disease management information that growers can use.

One of the tools that the website offers is a grapevine trunk disease diagnostic application ('trunk disease app' here after). This web-based application is designed to guide users to diagnose grapevine trunk diseases and disorders by providing pictorial keys. Although the name states trunk disease, this application covers not only fungal trunk diseases but also bacterial diseases that can affect the vascular system and abiotic disorders that may cause similar symptoms.

## **2. Platform for the application**

Initially, our idea was to develop a smart device application, such as an app for iOS or Android OS. However, we decided to use a website because of the ease of development and maintenance. A smart device application run better under an appropriate operating system, but it requires us to develop two applications. Also, in order for users to obtain the smart device application, they need to visit the proper application store to download. Depending on the size of the application or the version of the operating system, some users may not be able to install the app. Moreover, if there is a major update on either of the operating system, the application may require an update. In the worst-case scenario, these operation system updates can make the application entirely useless.

On the other hand, with an application on the website, we can focus our resources on one location. If we keep the coding simple, users do not need to install any application on their devices. Since it is basically a website, any devices with a web browser can access the information. This lack of dependency on the platform helps to reach out more audiences since some growers may not be as technologically perceptive as the others may.

Therefore, we developed our application on a remote web server that hosts our website. The content management system was WordPress (Wordpress.org), and coding was a combination of the HTML and the CSS. Using a template of WordPress that was designed to automatically scale and place menu items based on the platform that was accessing the website, we developed a mobile- (or smartphone-) ready website with ease.

## **3. Diseases and disorders covered by the application**

Botryosphaeria canker, Eutypa dieback, Phomopsis dieback, and Esca (also known as Petri disease). Damages caused by these diseases vary in the expression of symptoms. Damages can be made on fruiting structures (spurs, rachis, etc.), trunks and cordons, and/or the vascular system. Infection may result in delaying of fruit ripening and/or overall decline of vines [2]. Since these diseases can affect the trunk of grapevines, which is a semipermanent structure for grape production, the impact of trunk diseases is long-term, and often time, the only

Unfortunately, field identification of these trunk diseases is challenging because symptoms are very similar to each other. For example, *Botryosphaeria* spp., *Phomopsis viticola*, and *Eutypa lata* can cause dead spurs and cordons. In fact, there was a confusion on the causal agent of grapevine "dead arm" disease where people discussed whether this disease was caused by *Eutypa* or *Phomopsis* [4]. There are some characteristic symptoms such as discoloration of leaves (called tiger striping) of Esca, but it can vary year-to-year [5], or as in symptoms of

Moreover, there are a number of other causes, from biotic factors such as bacterial infection by Pierce's disease pathogen, *Xylella fastidiosa*, to abiotic factors such as winter cold injury that can cause similar symptoms because these factors damage the vascular system of grapevines. Depending on the cause of the problem, management practice will differ; however, extension publications, such as Fact sheets, tend to describe only one or a few diseases. To learn all the possible causes, growers need to read several sources of information. This situation makes more difficult for growers as well as extension and agricultural educators to communicate

In order to address this complex issue, with a collaboration of the project PI, Dr. Kendra Baumgartner at USDA/ARS at Davis, CA, USA, we launched a new website (treeandvinetrunkdisease.org) ('trunk disease website' hereafter). This website is designed not only to distribute information on current research topics by a group of researchers but also to provide

One of the tools that the website offers is a grapevine trunk disease diagnostic application ('trunk disease app' here after). This web-based application is designed to guide users to diagnose grapevine trunk diseases and disorders by providing pictorial keys. Although the name states trunk disease, this application covers not only fungal trunk diseases but also bacterial diseases that can affect the vascular system and abiotic disorders that may cause similar symptoms.

Initially, our idea was to develop a smart device application, such as an app for iOS or Android OS. However, we decided to use a website because of the ease of development and maintenance. A smart device application run better under an appropriate operating system, but it requires us to develop two applications. Also, in order for users to obtain the smart device application, they need to visit the proper application store to download. Depending on the size of the application or the version of the operating system, some users may not be

Eutypa, symptom expression may depend on the environmental factors [6].

about diseases and disorders associated with the grapevine trunk.

trunk disease management information that growers can use.

**2. Platform for the application**

remedy is the replacement of infected vines [3].

116 Advances in Plant Pathology

As noted earlier, although this application has a name associated with grapevine trunk diseases, it handles more than trunk diseases. **Table 1** shows the list of diseases and disorders that are covered by the application.


**Table 1.** Diseases and abiotic disorders that are covered in the trunk disease app.

## **4. Interface and plug-ins**

WordPress theme Parabota (www.cryoutcreations.eu) was chosen as an interface of the website since it is a scalable template that automatically recognizes the operation system of the site visitor, then scales images and rearranges menus. In addition, a plug-in WPPatch (www. wptouch.com) was installed to enhance the experience of mobile phone users. We used a package RPS image gallery (redpixel.com) to add a description (footnote) to each image, place images as columns, and also allow the site visitor to click image to enlarge. The usage of the website is tracked by Google Analytics (www.analytics.google.com).

## **5. Trunk disease app interface**

When a site visitor comes to the trunk disease website (**Figure 1**), which is a portal site for many project pages, including the trunk disease diagnostic app, the user finds the app under the main menu 'Extension.'

The menu opens an introductory page that explains how this application works. Then, the application starts by showing four tissues of grapevine, 'leaves', 'shoots', 'clusters', and 'cross sections and bark' (**Figure 2**).

Once the user clicks the tissues that are showing symptoms, the application displays different types of symptom for the user to select (**Figure 3**).

**Figure 2.** Trunk disease app's opening dialogue on a smartphone screen: Asking users to select a symptomatic tissue.

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119

**Figure 3.** Trunk disease app on a smartphone screen: app users click or tap the best-described symptom picture to

determine the disease in question.

Then, the application follows up with a series of questions. For example, even if the user chooses leaves as symptomatic tissue, the application shows pictures of other parts of the grapevines (**Figure 4**).

After answering several questions, the application displays the most likely scenario for the symptoms (**Figure 5**).

**Figure 1.** The SCRI trunk disease project page on a computer screen (treeandvinetrunkdiseases.org).

**4. Interface and plug-ins**

118 Advances in Plant Pathology

**5. Trunk disease app interface**

the main menu 'Extension.'

sections and bark' (**Figure 2**).

grapevines (**Figure 4**).

symptoms (**Figure 5**).

types of symptom for the user to select (**Figure 3**).

WordPress theme Parabota (www.cryoutcreations.eu) was chosen as an interface of the website since it is a scalable template that automatically recognizes the operation system of the site visitor, then scales images and rearranges menus. In addition, a plug-in WPPatch (www. wptouch.com) was installed to enhance the experience of mobile phone users. We used a package RPS image gallery (redpixel.com) to add a description (footnote) to each image, place images as columns, and also allow the site visitor to click image to enlarge. The usage of the

When a site visitor comes to the trunk disease website (**Figure 1**), which is a portal site for many project pages, including the trunk disease diagnostic app, the user finds the app under

The menu opens an introductory page that explains how this application works. Then, the application starts by showing four tissues of grapevine, 'leaves', 'shoots', 'clusters', and 'cross

Once the user clicks the tissues that are showing symptoms, the application displays different

Then, the application follows up with a series of questions. For example, even if the user chooses leaves as symptomatic tissue, the application shows pictures of other parts of the

After answering several questions, the application displays the most likely scenario for the

**Figure 1.** The SCRI trunk disease project page on a computer screen (treeandvinetrunkdiseases.org).

website is tracked by Google Analytics (www.analytics.google.com).

**Figure 2.** Trunk disease app's opening dialogue on a smartphone screen: Asking users to select a symptomatic tissue.

**Figure 3.** Trunk disease app on a smartphone screen: app users click or tap the best-described symptom picture to determine the disease in question.

**6. Summary and conclusions**

they are dealing with.

the website and application.

**Acknowledgements**

**Author details**

Mizuho Nita

Winchester, VA, for assistance in website development.

Address all correspondence to: nita24@vt.edu

University, Winchester, Virginia, USA

The major issue with grapevine wood-canker diseases and other trunk-related disorders is the difficulty of diagnostics. Many growers overlook the symptoms simply because they are not familiar with these diseases and disorders. In addition, these diseases do not cause immediate damage to the infected vines. However, when we look into the life of a vineyard, the long-term effect of these diseases can be detrimental [12]. One of the issues is the lack of obvious symptom expressions from trunk diseases and disorders. Many of the symptoms are similar to each other, and since many extension education materials often talk about one disease, it is difficult for the growers to cross-examine symptoms to find the diseases that

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In order to address these issues, we have developed a new web-based pictorial diagnostic key tool for grapevine trunk diseases and other disease and disorders that affect the trunk of grapevines. This application is freely available through our project page (treeandvinetrunkdiseases.org). This diagnostic tool aids users to determine a target grapevine trunk disease and disorder with a series of pictorial keys from different tissues of grapevines (leaves, trunks, cluster, etc.). Users will answer several questions by matching symptoms with pictures. Once enough information is obtained, it will provide recommendations for management. In order to appeal to many users, we selected mobile-friendly themes and plug-ins in

This research was funded by grant 2012-51181-19954 to K. Baumgartner, R. Travadon and M. Nita from the USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Specialty Crops Research Initiative program. The author would like to show his appreciation to Dr. Kendra Baumgartner at the USDA/ARS Davis, CA, for her support throughout the project, Dr. Travadon at the USDA/ARS Davis, CA, for his contribution of photos for the application, and Ms. Sabrina Hartley at the AHS Jr. AREC, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,

Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State

**Figure 4.** Trunk disease app on a smartphone screen: The app shows multiple pictures to app users for the confirmation.

**Figure 5.** Trunk disease app on a smartphone screen: A diagnostic screen to display the most likely disease based on the user inputs.

## **6. Summary and conclusions**

The major issue with grapevine wood-canker diseases and other trunk-related disorders is the difficulty of diagnostics. Many growers overlook the symptoms simply because they are not familiar with these diseases and disorders. In addition, these diseases do not cause immediate damage to the infected vines. However, when we look into the life of a vineyard, the long-term effect of these diseases can be detrimental [12]. One of the issues is the lack of obvious symptom expressions from trunk diseases and disorders. Many of the symptoms are similar to each other, and since many extension education materials often talk about one disease, it is difficult for the growers to cross-examine symptoms to find the diseases that they are dealing with.

In order to address these issues, we have developed a new web-based pictorial diagnostic key tool for grapevine trunk diseases and other disease and disorders that affect the trunk of grapevines. This application is freely available through our project page (treeandvinetrunkdiseases.org). This diagnostic tool aids users to determine a target grapevine trunk disease and disorder with a series of pictorial keys from different tissues of grapevines (leaves, trunks, cluster, etc.). Users will answer several questions by matching symptoms with pictures. Once enough information is obtained, it will provide recommendations for management. In order to appeal to many users, we selected mobile-friendly themes and plug-ins in the website and application.

## **Acknowledgements**

**Figure 4.** Trunk disease app on a smartphone screen: The app shows multiple pictures to app users for the confirmation.

**Figure 5.** Trunk disease app on a smartphone screen: A diagnostic screen to display the most likely disease based on

the user inputs.

120 Advances in Plant Pathology

This research was funded by grant 2012-51181-19954 to K. Baumgartner, R. Travadon and M. Nita from the USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Specialty Crops Research Initiative program. The author would like to show his appreciation to Dr. Kendra Baumgartner at the USDA/ARS Davis, CA, for her support throughout the project, Dr. Travadon at the USDA/ARS Davis, CA, for his contribution of photos for the application, and Ms. Sabrina Hartley at the AHS Jr. AREC, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Winchester, VA, for assistance in website development.

## **Author details**

Mizuho Nita

Address all correspondence to: nita24@vt.edu

Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Winchester, Virginia, USA
