Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/590181
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m N o v - D e c 2 015 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 6 3 ometimes it seems that just when growers get a handle on one variety of vineyard pest, a new one shows up to take its place. With evolving ecosystems and an ever-changing parade of pests, creating and maintaining an effective integrated pest manage- ment (IPM) program can be challeng- ing. We spoke with experts around the country to learn more about the latest trends in IPM for vineyards, and the insects currently topping growers' "least wanted" lists. INVASIVE AND EMERGING PESTS "California vineyard pest man- agement has led the world with innovative solutions to control a r t h r o p o d p e s t s , " n o t e d K e n t Daane, cooperative extension spe- cialist at the UC Kearney Agricultur- al Research and Education Center, in California's San Joaquin Valley. "Farmers have used a variety of tools, from chemical to biologi- cal controls, depending on the key arthropod pest in their vineyard." However, many of these IPM p r o g r a m s n o w a r e h a m p e r e d ease, for which the mode of patho- gen spread is still not well known." Growers in the East are faced with a different set of challenges, and one of the biggest is disease management. In some areas, the conditions favorable for downy mil- dew infection and other fungal dis- eases are nearly constant during the growing season. H o w e v e r, g r o w e r s a l s o a r e faced with managing insect pests, such as grape berry moth and grape root borer. "There are many significant insect pests in grapes, but how sig- nificant they are depends on what grapes are being grown and where," said Hannah Burrack, associate pro- fessor and extension specialist for North Carolina State University's Department of Entomology. Speaking to overall IPM trends, Tim Martinson, senior extension associate at Cornell University, said, "One of the biggest changes I have because of invasive pests. "A variety of new insects, from vine mealybug to glassy-winged sharp- shooter, have changed how farm- ers manage insect pests," he said, "leading many to rely more heavily on insecticides to manage multiple pest problems." Pesticides also have changed, Daane said, "from the broadly toxic organophosphates and carbamates to a combination of novel products that often are less toxic to humans and are better able to specifically tar- get the pests feeding on the vine." Matt Daugherty, assistant coop- erative extension specialist and entomologist at UC Davis—River- side, said, "A notable trend in Cali- fornia vineyard IPM is the challenge associated with managing apparent- ly new diseases or a resurgence in well-known vector-borne diseases. "This includes sharpshooter con- trol for Pierce's disease manage- ment, for which there are ongoing resurgences in the North Coast and the Central Valley; native and invasive mealybug vectors of the viruses associated with grapevine leafroll disease; and apparently new diseases such as red blotch dis- + New invasive insects are challenging grapegrowers' integrated pest manage- ment programs. + Pesticides have changed from the broadly toxic organophosphates to a combination of novel prod- ucts that target specific pests. + One notable challenge in California vineyards is man- aging new diseases or the resurgence in well-known, vector-borne diseases. + A recent IPM advance on the East Coast has been the identification of a "two flights" model for managing grape berry moth. AT A GLANCE Invasive bugs, such as the Western grapeleaf skeletonizer, have changed the way growers handle insect pests. Photo: Jack Kelly Clark, courtesy UC Statewide IPM Program wine@hoyt-shepston.com