Pest Control Class

PEST CONTROL CLASS
July 18, 2009

We've had several classes since my last post...Canopy Management, Wine Tasting and Analysis, Vineyard Management and Pest Control. I'll try to catch up.

Our Pest Control class was held on July 18, 2009 at Monticello. Our instructor was the acclaimed vigneron, Gabriele Rausse. This class introduces students to the various types of pests and diseases that can cause damage in a vineyard. After class we visited several local vineyards. With the wet weather we've been having, it wasn't difficult to find good examples of the various diseases and pests that afflict a vineyard.

Some of the pests and disease we talked about in class were:

1. Black Rot - a fungal disease. Onset is usually after berry set. This is a very dangerous disease that can cause serious economic loss, but it is easily controlled with a standard spray program. The best fungicide for Black Rot is Nova.
2. Downy Mildew - a fungal disease. Downy Mildew begins with a mild yellow spot on the leaf. The spot may look like an oil spot. The berries on infected clusters become brown and eventually they shrivel. The best fungicide to use for Downy Mildew is Ridomil, but it must be used well before harvest.
3. Powdery Mildew - a fungal disease. This fungus can infect all green tissues of the garpevine. It start as a whiteish powder on the leaf. The best fungicide to use is sulphur.
4. Amillaria Root Rot - a fungus that attacks the roots. to correct this, one must raise the soil pH.
5. Grape Berry Moth - an insect that attacks the grape berry. Damage is done by the larvae that can tunnel into the berry. A good insecticide to use is Dipel.

These are just a few of the pest and diseases we covered in class. Some of the others we discussed were phomopsis, eutypa dieback, black goo, tomato ringspot, and crown gall. Tony Wolf's new book, Wine Grape Production Guide for Eastern North America, has several chapters on disease, pest and weed management. It's an excellent resource!

Our class took us to Blenheim Vineyards where we enjoyed a wine tasting with their winemaker, Kirsty Harmon. Blenheim offers some excellent wines! I really enjoyed their 2008 Chardonnay and their 2008 Seven Oaks Merlot.

For more information on Blenheim Vineyards, visit their website www.blenheimvineyards.com.

For more information on Tony Wolf's new book, visit www.nraes.org/nra_winegrapecontent.html

Here are some pictures from class.