Ipotesi sull attività del ferro nei confronti di patogeni associati all esca della vite e alla carie dell actinidia

HYPOTHESES ON IRON ACTIVITY TOWARDS ESCA OF GRAPEVINE AND WOOD DECAY IN KIWIFRUIT AND ASSOCIATED PATHOGENS Esca of grapevine and wood decay of kiwifruit are important wood diseases, sharing several characteristics, such as the main causal agents, the fluctuation of symptoms between different years, and the correlation between foliar symptoms severity and losses in the production. This work is aimed to verify the role of iron on the mechanisms of pathogenesis and on the control of leaf symptoms severity. The first hypotheses are reported. The formation of hydroxyl radicals during iron assimilation by pathogens associated with esca and wood decay of kiwifruit was observed in laboratory experiments, while the effects of the application of iron based products on the expression of foliar symptoms was followed in field trials. Keywords: iron, esca of grapevine, wood decay of kiwifruit