Contrasting wood chemical traits are associated with differences in wood degradation and esca susceptibility among grapevine cultivars.

White-rot necrosis is significantly more common in grapevine cultivars with esca leaf symptoms, especially in those most susceptible, and is linked to lower levels of constitutive wood extractives.

• Why it matters: Understanding the factors that influence grapevine susceptibility to esca is crucial for managing this complex vascular disease and reducing vine decline, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
• What they did: The study examined 16 cultivars for correlations between susceptibility to wood decay and esca expression, and 23 cultivars for associations between wood biochemical traits and microbial communities, using field assessments and biochemical analyses.
• The result: Esca susceptibility is mainly associated with wood degradability and metabolic responses rather than microbial community composition, suggesting host-intrinsic traits as key targets for disease management.