Rugose (RW)
Definition - What does Rugose (RW) mean?
Rugose or rugose wood (RW) complex is a vine disease which can affect the yield of fruit and quality of fruit production. Rugose or RW is a group of five serious diseases:
- Corky bark
- Kober stem grooving
- LN33 stem grooving
- Rupestris stem pitting
They are named after their symptoms which are induced during indexing.
WineFrog explains Rugose (RW)
The complexity of Rugose wood is relatively unknown and the only category of the disease which affects Vitis vinifera is corky bark. It can cause graft incompatibility and eventually kill the vines.
Vines are more susceptible to RW in the first years following planting.
The symptoms of corky bark are pitting and grooving of the wood. Swelling at the graft union can also occur. This can be observed when the diameter of the rootstock and the scion are signficantly different. The scion is often larger. Symptoms similar to leafroll virus may also be apparent with yellowing or redding of entire leaves and the veins.
In affected vines, budburst can be delayed and the vigour and growth of the vines will decline and eventually die.
