This vine disease (also known as dry rot) originated in North America and, after phylloxera and the two types of mildew, reached Europe as a "fourth import" in the early 1880s. It should not be confused with black spot disease. Black rot was identified in 1883 by the French viticulture expert Pierre Viala (1859-1936) in the laboratory of Montpellier. It occurs mainly in France, Italy, southern Switzerland and occasionally in German wine-growing regions and is spreading more and more. The disease is caused by the fungus Guignardia bidwelli (rust fungi). Prolonged rainfall in May and June...
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