Temperature Influence on Pseudothecia Development Stages of Venturia inaequalis in the Western Cape of South Africa

Abstract

Pseudothecia development stages of Venturia inaequalis (apple scab) were investigated in two climatically different regions in the Western Cape of South Africa. The aim was to determine the pseudothecial density (PD; pseudothecia per fertile lesion [p/f]) and ascal density (AD; asci per pseudothecium [a/p]) that contributes to defining the potential ascospore dose in a common prediction model of the apple scab infection risk. The PD and AD were compared between Elgin (EL), now considered a warm winter apple-growing region because of climate warming, and Koue Bokkeveld (KB), a cold winter region. In 2012 and 2013, scabbed apple leaves were collected during leaf-drop in KB and EL and overwintered either in their region of origin or in the other region. PD was significantly higher in scabbed leaves collected and overwintered in KB (mean, 24.11 p/f) than in leaves collected in KB and overwintered in EL (mean, 17.11 p/f; P < 0.001). PD of scabbed leaves collected and overwintered in EL (mean, 15.27 p/f) or collected in EL and overwintered in KB (mean, 16.07 p/f) did not differ significantly. Ascal density did not differ significantly in any treatment or season. We concluded that the significantly higher PD of scabbed leaves collected from the cooler region of KB and overwintered in KB compared with scabbed leaves collected in EL or KB and overwintered in EL could be caused by adaptations of V. inaequalis populations to the respective climates. This implied long-term effects of climate warming on apple scab epidemiology and management.