Downy Mildew

Questions and Answers

3 December 2010

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GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCH AND

D EVELOPMENT CORPORA TION
Identifying the disease

Q 1.: How do I know if the spots I see in my Q1

vineyard are downy mildew oilspots?
Downy mildew produces golden-yellow, oily spots on leaves,
which are best seen on the top side of the leaves. When young
(less than say 4–5 days old), the spots are often surrounded by
a chocolate halo, which fades as the oilspot ages. The youngest
spots first appear as circular spots 8–10mm in diameter. In
susceptible young leaves they grow rapidly bigger, reaching
20–30 mm in diameter in 10–14 days. (For more detail on
distinguishing downy from other symptoms, go to the Disease
Diagnosis module at www.GrowCare.com.au).

Q 2.: What is the white down of downy mildew?

It is the sporangia (spores) of the disease. They are produced
only on the undersides of oilspots and on infected green tissue
but then only when the conditions are right – during a warm,
humid night. These spores can spread downy at very rapid rates.

Q 3.: I get downy and powdery mildew Oilspots are circular and light yellow when young
confused. Is there a test to tell if an oilspot
Q3
is downy mildew and if it is active?
Yes, do the ‘bag test’. Lightly moisten a sealable plastic bag by
adding a little water then shaking the bag vigorously to spread
the water evenly around the inside of the bag. Then up-end the
bag to drain out any excess water. Place the leaves with suspect
oilspots or infected bunch material (it is best to take the sample
in the afternoon) in the bag. Make sure that the undersides of
the leaves are facing upwards and are not wet. Seal the bag and
incubate it at 20–250 C in the dark - a kitchen cupboard is a good
spot. In the morning, active downy mildew tissue will show fresh
white down on the undersides of the oilspots, on the surface of
bunch stems and on berries smaller than pea-size
(5–7 mm diameter).

Active viable downy mildew oilspots will show the characteristic fresh
white down in the morning after the bag test.
(Photo: Richard Hamilton)

Downy Mildew | Questions and Answers 01

The disease Managing the disease

Q 4.: What is the difference between downy Q 6.: I have not found any oil spots in my
primary and secondary infections? vineyard. Does that mean that I am safe?
A primary infection occurs when the downy spores move from the Have you looked? Have you really looked inside the canopy?
soil to the vine. It produces a few oilspots in the foliage – usually Effective monitoring requires time, effort and experience. Follow
about 1–3 oilspots in every 50 metres of canopy row. the three Ts of good monitoring: Target, Timing and Technique.
Secondary infection occurs when downy spreads from oilspots in Know the symptoms you are looking for (target); when to look
the canopy. Spores move from leaf to leaf or leaf to bunch and, for them (timing) and how to monitor (technique). For instance,
because each oilspot can produce many 1,000s of spores, this can be sure to look inside the canopy for bunch infection and when
lead to an explosive increase in disease levels causing many more looking for oilspots, assess up to 200 vines.
new generation oilspots and bunch infections. Primary infections are easy to miss and can go untreated. It is
possible for infection to go ‘straight to bunches’ but this is rare.
Q 5.: I know downy is driven by wet weather A secondary infection is more noticeable and shows up as small
but can you summarise the conditions clusters of oilspots on leaves.
needed for each step? Often the primary oilspot will be found as an aged spot in the
A primary infection requires the soil to be wet for 16 hours at middle of this new cluster. Infected bunches will usually be the
temperatures at or near 10 0 C for overwintering spores (called result of secondary infection (see Q15).
oospores) to release zoospores in the soil. These swimming
zoospores then need rainfall to splash them up to the vine foliage Q 7.: In on-going wet conditions that cause
and the leaves need to be wet for a further 2–3 hours for infection repeat infection events, what must I do?
to occur. Because these conditions are quite specific, primary Be sure to look closely in your vine canopy. Search for oilspots
infections usually only occur a few times a season. After the in the foliage and especially look within the canopy for infected
primary infection, the downy mildew pathogen will incubate for bunches (See Q1.) It is important to know what level of disease is
five or more days before oilspots appear in the canopy. present in your vineyard and to know what stage the epidemic is
Once these spots have appeared, spores can be produced on their up to (Q4 and 5. See www.GrowCare.com.au for further details).
under-surfaces as part of the secondary infection process. This This allows good decisions to be made when considering which
requires a warm, humid night and the leaves need to be wet in the fungicides to apply.
morning for infection to occur. This event may occur many times in
a season. A second incubation period is then needed before a new
generation of oilspots will appear (for more detail on the life cycle Q6

of downy mildew, go to the GWRDC website http://www.gwrdc.

com.au/webdata/resources/files/DownyMildewFactShee.pdf or
www.GrowCare.com.au)

Older oilspots are dark yellow with or without

the white down on the undersides

Downy Mildew | Questions and Answers 02

Managing the disease

Q8 Q 10.: I sprayed with copper last week

before the recent rains. How much copper
did the rain wash off?
Understandably, the rain washes some chemical off the sprayed
foliage, but most pre-infection sprays stick quite well. The chief
factor in a spray failing to endure is not so much the amount of
rain but more the rate of growth of new vine tissue. Leaves and
shoots expand and critically, at the time of flowering, the bunches
grow rapidly. Because the pre-infection sprays act on the surface
of the vine tissue, they need to be present in sufficient coverage
and dose before a spore lands on that surface so that the fungus
makes contact with the chemical and is killed. As the vine grows, it
expands. This spreads out the layer of fungicide like dots spread on
a balloon when it is blown up. With expanding tissue, the downy
Downy mildew rapidly kills highly susceptible young bunches (left), spores have a much better chance of landing in a gap in the spray
but berries are immune well before pea-size (E-L 31) (right). cover and growing into and infecting the vine.
Downy is best controlled at or before primary infection because
When the vine is rapidly growing at, or near, flowering, a
in suitably warm, humid weather the disease spreads rapidly in
protective spray cover remains effective for as few as 3–5 days
secondary infection.
(see Q15). Later, as vine growth slows, a spray cover might last
10–14 days.
Q 8.: What is the difference between a
Q 11.: How can I measure vine growth?
pre- and post-infection fungicide?
A simple way is to tie a bread bag twist-tie at the tip of 2–3 shoots
A pre-infection fungicide is a product that defends against downy.
at the time you spray. Come back a few days later and you will see
It must be applied as close as possible before infection begins to
how much the shoots have grown. This gives you a measure of
ensure that new growth is well covered. These products include
how much new and therefore unsprayed vine surface is present
the copper-based products mancozeb (e.g. Dithane™) and captan.
before the next infection event.
They are otherwise known as protectants or cover sprays.
A post-infection fungicide has the capacity to kill off downy while Q 12.: I’m told that the pre-infection sprays
it is developing, after infection has occurred. They are best applied are very effective against downy. How come I
as soon as possible after an infection event has occurred. These sprayed just before the last rain and still found a
products include metalaxyl (Ridomil™, Axiom™ and Medley™) new generation of downy oilspots on my vines?
and phosphorous acid (phos acid). The strobilurins Cabrio™ and
Your spray Timing seemed good but good spray application is
Amistar™ have some effect also. These products are otherwise
essential for good control. This means getting the chemical Type
referred to as eradicants or systemics.
and Treatment right. Good treatment often means using the
highest label rate of product and matching the amount (volume) of
Q 9.: Are the different pre-infection (protectant)
water and chemical applied to the canopy size (volume) at the time
fungicides different in their control of downy?
of spraying. This also means spraying at suitable speeds with best
All the pre-infection sprays will do a good job if they are sprayed sprayer set-up to maximise coverage of the young bunches and the
correctly (Q12). This includes the different copper formulations, lower leaf surfaces where the downy infects the leaves. These are
mancozeb and the like. Generally, if it is registered, it will work! the places where it is most difficult to achieve good coverage, so
canopy management such as trimming is often essential if sprays
are needed after flowering in dense canopies.

Downy Mildew | Questions and Answers 03

Managing the disease

Q13 Q 13.: I want to make sure I also control powdery

when I am focussing on downy.
Can I tank mix several products when I spray?
This is a good idea. It is easy to focus on downy and forget
powdery mildew, botrytis and other bunch rots. The latter two
disease groups spread abundantly in conditions that favour
downy. Tank mixes are OK for most of the products used for the
three disease groups but it is a good idea not to mix more than
three products in the one tank.

Q 14.: Do I need to add a wetter

or sticker to my sprays?
Secondary infection can be explosive, producing many 1000s of
new generation infection sites overnight. Early season, when the Generally, no. Most fungicides are formulated with these already
bunches are very susceptible, this phase of the disease can be rapidly incorporated into the product you buy. They are formulated to
destructive. spread and stick well. Follow the manufacturer’s advice on the
label. Too much wetter can lead to the spray spreading too much
Q15 and running off the vine. This reduces the effective dose that
remains to prevent infection and can lead to infection occurring
even though you sprayed.

Q 15.: I sprayed my vines at the right time

and with good coverage but after the rains,
I found downy on my bunches and hardly
any on the leaves. What is going on?
This has been showing up in a number of vineyards. Nearly all of
these have been sprayed just before an infection at the time of
flowering. The sprays covered the foliage and the young bunches
but in the 3 or 4 days before the rain, lots of bunch flower caps fell
Good timing of spray applications in relation to infection
off, leaving the developing flowers exposed to infection. After the
events, especially primary infection, is a major factor in
incubation period of downy inside the vines, infection showed up
effective spraying for downy mildew. Young bunches are
wherever the coverage was incomplete (Q12). This means that the
highly susceptible so good control of primary infection will
very susceptible young bunches that were exposed were diseased
prevent the risk of secondary infection and reduce the need
despite the spraying.
for more sprays.

Downy Mildew | Questions and Answers 04

Managing the disease

Q 16.: What can I do if downy mildew Q16

infection has occurred? Can I stop it?
The post-infection sprays, such as metalaxyl and phos acid, are
very effective in controlling downy after an infection event. There
are some excellent examples of infection developing, then a post-
infection fungicide being applied and the disease being effectively
stopped in its tracks.
There are several factors involved in the capacity of downy to
multiply in the vineyard. The number, size and age of oilspots
determines the capacity of the disease to produce spores in a
secondary infection event. The suitability of the conditions is
another factor. On a warm, humid night suitable for secondary
infection (see Q5), downy produces thousands of spores from
each oilspot. If the temperature is around 20 0 C, an oilspot will
produce many more spores than if the temperature is near the
lower limit of 130 C. Once the spores are produced, temperature
and leaf wetness are critical factors in determining how much
new infection will occur. The post-infection fungicides are active
against most of these factors preventing oilspots being produced
and reducing sporangial production and viability.
These fungicides are best applied as soon as possible after
infection to prevent oilspots developing. If they are applied just
after oilspots appear (not recommended!), they sometimes have
the capacity to kill out that oilspot or, if the spot persists, the post-
infection fungicide has capacity to reduce the number of spores
produced and/or it may reduce the viability of any spores that do
develop. This multifaceted activity of the post-infection fungicides
are the reason why they are so effective, especially if applied
within the first 4–5 days after an infection event.
Post-infection fungicides like metalaxyl can kill out oilspots if timed
correctly. The brown oilspot (left) has died and the yellow oilspot
(right) did not produce new spores despite favourable weather
conditions – it can no longer spread the disease.

Downy Mildew | Questions and Answers 05

Managing the disease

Q17 For the maximum effectiveness of both approaches, spray timing

will rely more on ‘flying by instruments’ than by observing oilspots
in the vineyard. The pre-infection strategy is best guided by
forecasts of wet weather. This means spraying before you can see
the downy infection. The post-infection strategy is best guided
by use of a weather station to provide weather data for a site
near you. This permits analysis of the data to determine the ‘just
triggered’ risk of disease from a recent weather event though
the resultant disease outcome is still unseen in the vineyard (see
examples of this approach in www.GrowCare.com.au ).

Q 18.: What if my vines were at or just

past flowering and unprotected when the
conditions favoured downy in my vineyard?
As the words of the Downy Rap song say, at this critical time, ‘Give
it no room’. Because young bunches are so susceptible to downy
(Q15), it is essential to gain and maintain good control. Apply a
post-infection fungicide as soon as possible and ensure good
spray coverage by using well-calibrated equipment and optimising
a high water rate for thorough coverage (Q12). (Note: For those
interested in the novelty disease management story The Downy
Rap, the song is available from www.GrowCare.com.au).

Q 19.: I have had a downy mildew infection,

the disease is spreading and I can’t purchase
any new metalaxyl ... but I have some 5-year
old Ridomil™ in the shed. Can I use it?
Automatic weather stations (AWS) monitor the vine canopy for
leafwetness, rainfall, relative humidity (RH) and temperature, critical Many companies only guarantee products with metalaxyl and
to the life cycle of downy mildew. Some AWS, like this Model T copper for five years and metalaxyl and mancozeb products for
MetStation ®, signal infection events and help refine optimum three years. As long as it is kept dry, and preferably cool, the
spray timing. metalaxyl is more stable than the pre-infection actives copper and
mancozeb, which are added to reduce the risk of resistance. Also
note that some industry quality assurance programs prevent the
use of out-dated chemicals in the vineyard. Please consult your
Q 17.: How can I tell when to spray, winery for more specific advice about chemical use.
especially in wet weather?
In wet conditions, there are two approaches. One is to spray
regularly and often with a pre-infection (protective) fungicide. The
effectiveness of control will depend on achieving a good spray
cover before an infection event occurs (see Q10). The spray interval
is best determined by assessing vine growth (see Q11) and, by
monitoring the weather forecasts for the conditions that favour
infection. For some regions, the Bureau of Meteorology works in
liaison with regional industry bodies to provide a Downy Mildew
Alert, warning growers of impending conditions favourable to
infection (see www.GrowCare.com.au).
The second approach is to apply a few cover sprays at critical times
early in the season (before the canopy closes over and makes spray
penetration more difficult), then following up with post-infection
sprays if and when needed, as soon as possible after an infection
period (see Q16).

Downy Mildew | Questions and Answers 06

Managing the disease

Q 20.: Just recently, some formulations of Q23

metalaxyl used in pineapples and other
crops have been approved by the APVMA for
use in vineyards. They are not formulated
with a pre-infection fungicide such as
copper or mancozeb. Is this safe to use?
Yes but, used alone, metalaxyl will only provide limited protection
to the vines. It will work well as a post-infection fungicide but to
provide a high level of protectant (pre-infection) activity and to
prevent resistance developing to the metalaxyl, make sure you
tank mix a pre-infection fungicide with the metalaxyl.

Q21.Can I use phos acid on my vines?

I have nothing else I can use to
stop the downy spreading.
Although phos acid is extremely effective in reducing the vineyard
disease potential from infected vines, its use will almost certainly
result in a detectable residue in wine. Because some international
markets have no MRL (Maximum Residue Level) for phos acid, ask
your winery for their policy prior to using phos acid.
An alternative, when all else fails, is to maintain a frequent spray
program using pre-infection (protectant) fungicides. Trim vines to
make for easier penetration of sprays. The Group Y fungicides (e.g.
copper, mancozeb etc) are very effective and cheaper than the
Group K strobilurins (e.g. Amistar™ and Cabrio™), but the latter
also give control of powdery mildew. Keep a look out for powdery
in your canopies too because now is a good time to make sure it is
under control!

Q 22.: Can I use products that are Berries gain resistance to downy mildew when near pea-size but
not registered for grapevines? stalks remain susceptible. Note the fresh white down on the infected
stalks (Photo: Andrew Weeks)
No! Chemical applicators should only apply agrochemical
products that are currently registered for use on grapes or have
a current off-label permit. An expired permit does not constitute
permission to use a product. Refer to the AWRI’s Dog Book (http://
www.awri.com.au/industry_support/viticulture/agrochemicals/
agrochemical_booklet/booklet.pdf) or contact the APVMA, AWRI
or your grape purchaser if in any doubt.

Q 23.: When do berries gain resistance

and what about the berry stalks?
The berries gain resistance to downy mildew as they cease
functioning as green tissue and begin to function as a berry.
The stomates are where downy enters to cause infection and the
stomates on the berry close up permanently sometime before
berries reach pea size (5–7mm diameter). Note though, that the
berry stalks and bunch stalks (rachis) continue to
remain susceptible.

Downy Mildew | Questions and Answers 07

Managing the disease Acknowledgements

Q 24.: How long do oilspots remain The author thanks the many who assisted with swift practical
active in my vineyard? suggestions for the production of this text, particularly Andrew
Weeks and the members of the Riverland Viticultural Technical
About 90 days. Though the centre of the spots may die out when
Group, Mark Krstic and Kate Harvey from the GWRDC, Duncan
the oilspot sporulates and produces the characteristic fresh white
Farquhar from the NWGIC, Marcel Essling from AWRI, Warren
down, untreated oilspots will continue to grow from an outer
Burgess from VBH Supplies, Liz Riley from Vitibit Pty Ltd, and
ring of yellowed (infected) tissue. This maintains the active downy
Richard Hamilton from Hamilton Viticulture.
mildew and gives the disease the potential to spread in suitable
conditions for much of the rest of the season. For further information:
1. The Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation
Q 25.: Will skirting and (GWRDC) website www.gwrdc.com.au. Follow the links under
trimming the vines stop downy infection? ‘Resources’ and ‘Innovator Network Resources’ tabs to:
No, but it will help airflow to dry out the canopy more quickly and • The Downy Mildew factsheets
it will assist the penetration of fungicide sprays. Both skirting and
• The Downy Mildew tech book
trimming will assist in controlling downy (and powdery) mildew
and bunch rots. Desuckering will remove susceptible leaf material • Other fact sheets
from near the soil where the disease overwinters – shoots low to 2. The web-site www.GrowCare.com.au, provides information
the ground often show the disease first. for Australian grapegrowers seeking details on the diagnosis,
epidemiology and management of the mildews of grapevine.
Q 26.: Sometimes post-infection fungicides It hosts written information, interactive disease and weather
like metalaxyl seem to kill off established information, and songs on the mildews and hosts a teaching
oilspots. How can I tell if the spots are dead? video on downy mildew.
Post-infection fungicides like metalaxyl and phos acid both have 3. Nicholas, P.R., Magarey, P.A. and Wachtel, M.F. (1994). (Editors).
capacity to kill existing oilspots if applied soon after the spots ‘Diseases and Pests’, Vol. I. Grape Production Series. Winetitles,
appear (Q16). The bag test (Q3) is one way of checking if the Adelaide, South Australia. 106 pp. ISBN 1-875130-15-2
oilspots are dead. Another is to check the spots after a warm,
4. Magarey, P.A., MacGregor, A.M., Wachtel, M.F. and Kelly, M.C.
humid night and look for fresh white down in the morning. If
(1999). (Editors). The Australian and New Zealand Field Guide
unsprayed oilspots produce the down and the treated spots do
to Diseases, Pests and Disorders of Grapes. A companion to
not, then you can assume the post-infection spray has been
‘Diseases and Pests’, Grape Production Series No.1. Winetitles,
very effective.
Adelaide, South Australia. 108 pp. ISBN 1 875130 33 0. (634.82)
This season has again shown some clear examples of this success
story when a full epidemic has been effectively quelled by well-
timed applications of either metalaxyl or phos acid.

Dr Peter A Magarey
Magarey Plant Pathology
Loxton SA 5333
December 2010

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Downy Mildew | Questions and Answers 08