Population dynamics and characterization of Aspergillus section Nigri isolates from vineyards in Greece

Aspergillus spp. can cause severe pre- and postharvest berry rots in vine cultivation such as the sour rot of grapes. Specifically, A. carbonarius is responsible for ochratoxin A production, a carcinogenic mycotoxin which affects both humans and animals. The control of Aspergillus spp. is quite difficult as the application of many fungicides is required in vineyards. The purpose of the study is to investigate the population dynamics of Aspergillus section Nigri fungi in vineyards in Greece, with the aim of finding better management strategies in the field. Grape berries sampling was performed in Spata (Attica), Nemea (Argolida), Stimaga (Argolida) and Zakynthos during 2015, 2016 and 2017 years in order to isolate Aspergillus section Nigri strains and create a fungal collection. Then, the morphological and molecular characterization of the isolates was performed, using the beta-tubulin gene and additionally for some strains, the calmodulin gene. The main identified species were Aspergillus carbonarius, A. niger, A. tubigensis, A. welwitschiae and A. uvarum. A phylogenetic analysis among the sequenced strains will be presented