The vine must be cut off below the cankered or discolored wood. If the canker extends below the soil line, the entire vine must be removed. If the canker does not go below the soil line, the stump can be left and a new trunk formed. In addition, large wounds are less susceptible to infection at this time of year, and fewer ascospores are present to cause reinfection. If trunks cannot be removed in the spring, they should be marked for easy identification and removal later in the growing season.
Sanitation is critical.
An old infected stump or trunk lying on the ground may continue to produce spores for several years. The double trunk system of training, where each trunk is pruned to carry half the number of buds, may help reduce crop loss caused by Eutypa dieback. If a diseased trunk must be removed, the remaining trunk can be pruned to leave the full number of buds until a new second trunk can be established. Fungicide recommendations currently are not available for control of this disease.