Sodium arsenite effect on Vitis vinifera L. Physiology

• Published in: Journal of plant physiology 2019-07, Vol.238, p.72-79
• Main Authors: Songy, Aurélie, Vallet, Julie, Gantet, Marie, Boos, Anne, Ronot, Pascale, Tarnus, Céline, Clément, Christophe, Larignon, Philippe, Goddard, Mary-Lorène, Fontaine, Florence
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Active control; Antioxidants; Arsenic; Arsenite; Biological control; Chemical Sciences; Climate change; Fungicides; Grapevines; Health risks; Immunological tolerance; Leaves; Photosynthesis; Physiology; Plant physiology; Plant response; Sodium; Sodium arsenite; Sprays; Sustainability; Tempranillo; Translocation; Vineyards; Wineries & vineyards
• ISSN: 0176-1617; 1618-1328
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2019.05.010

[Display omitted] •Sodium arsenite was strongly efficient to inhibit grapevine trunk diseases foliar symptoms until 2003.•The use of sodium arsenite is banned and no efficient solutions are available.•Arsenic is translocated to leaves.•The leaf photosynthesis of sodium arsenite treated vine is firstly reduced and then stimulated.•The vine defense responses are also altered. Sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) was especially used as a dormant spray to control grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) in European vineyards until 2003 when it was banned. It was an efficient product but it was banned due to high risk for human health and the environment. Now, as one of the consequences with climatic changes, GTDs threaten the sustainability of vineyards since no similar and efficacious sprays are presently available to reduce the impact of GTDs. Research efforts were devoted to identify other active ingredients and biological control agents but they remained limited in term of efficacy. New solutions might follow from a better understanding of the modes of action of sodium arsenite which are currently lacking, specially its impact on grapevine physiology. For this study, grafted plants cv. Tempranillo were sprayed by sodium arsenite at the end of the winter. During the vegetative period, the impact on plant physiology was studied by measurement of the photosynthetic activity, the vine growth and development, and some defense responses. Our results showed that arsenic was translocated throughout the vine with an increasing gradient from the leaves to the root system, that photosynthesis was firstly reduced and then stimulated, and that plant tolerance responses were induced especially antioxidant system. The activation of grapevine defense responses by sodium arsenite could be a complementary action to fight fungal pathogens in addition to the fungicide effect.