Hot water treatment and field coverage of mother plant vineyards to prevent propagation material from phytoplasma infection

Phytoplasma may be transmitted by the propagation of scions and/or cuttings collected from diseased plant during a period of symptom latency. Although propagation itself usually results in a strong reduction of the infection in the progeny, some infected plants may survive bringing the pathogen in a new vineyard. These aspects are particularly important in the production of 'base' material (i.e. the source of clonal material to establish commercial nursery mother plant vineyards). Hot water treatment of propa-gation material and a insect-proof coverage of mother plant vineyards could strongly prevent from this danger. The experiences recently achieved on the matter in Piedmont are reported in this paper.