Xanthomonas campestris pv. viticola (Xcv), which causes the bacterial canker of grapevine, survives in infected plants as an epiphyte on aerial plant parts and may be carried in infected transplants and/or cuttings. This study was performed to investigate putative alternative hosts of the pathogen, aiming to find support for disease management. Bacteria similar to Xcv were isolated from the weeds Alternanthera tenella, Amaranthus sp., Glycine sp. and Senna obtusifolia showing canker-like symptoms and collected in vineyards of Juazeiro and Petrolina at the Submédio São Francisco. No bacteria were isolated from Commelina benghalensis and Azadirachta indica showing similar symptoms. The pathogenicity of the isolates was confirmed in plants of A. tenella, Amaranthus sp., Glycine sp., S. obtusifolia and grapevine cv. Red Globe, under greenhouse conditions. The weeds Chamaesyce hirta, Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Eragrostis pilosa and Pilea sp., artificially inoculated with strains Xcv1 and UnB1216, also developed typical symptoms of bacterial canker.
Vitis sp.; bacterial canker of grapevine; weeds
