Biological parameters of grape phylloxera, Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, on local grapevine varieties in central Syria – Implications on their susceptibility

Summary Biological parameters of phylloxera local strains as well as infestation were studied on Syrian grapevine varieties including Baladi, Salamone, Karawane, Hafarzale, Gharbe and the American resistance rootstock (ARR-B41) (Vitis vinifera x Vitis berlandieri). Root artificial infestation method revealed significant differences in phylloxera population between the majority of tested varieties comparing to the ARR-B41 rootstock. Hafarzale and Karawane have shown the lowest population of grape phylloxera, with a similar level of resistance to rootstock ARR-B41. Furthermore, Salamone and Gharbe are more conducive to grape phylloxera reproduction. Field investigation has shown significant differences between the local varieties and ARR-B41 in terms of the average number of galls “nodosities”. Overall, Hafarzale and Karawane tended to form significantly fewer galls than the other varieties.