Sorosphaera viticola, a plasmodiophorid parasite of grapevine.

Sorosphaera viticola is a soil-borne, endophytic parasite of grapevine. It is classified within the plasmodiophorids, an enigmatic group of obligate biotrophic parasites of higher plants. Sorosphaera viticola has been found abundantly in the roots of Vitis spp. in Germany and Canada. This may indicate a global distribution of this root parasite. But its biphasic life-cycle, its soil-borne nature and its co-occurrence with other soil-borne pathogens make an assessment of the disease pattern or a possible yield reduction of this fungus difficult.