Survival of fungi associated with grapevine decline in pruned wood after composting

Recycling vine wood pruned in winter in the vineyard, after grinding and composting, might pose a risk of recontamination with fungi associated with grapevine decline. The survival of four ascomycete fungi (Botryosphaeria obtusa, Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Phaeoacremonium aleophilum and Eutypa lata) in composted material was investigated in a 3-year study conducted in the Bordeaux area. Naturally and artificially infested material was examined before and after composting using classical isolation procedures. Results clearly showed that a composting process can eradicate the four target fungi efficiently.