abstract An individual grower’s response to pests and diseases in their vineyard can have consequences for an entire growing region. Collective action strategies can help align disease responses to achieve…
Erythritol is a non-caloric sugar used in artificial sweeteners such as Truvia and is safe for human consumption. Formulations with erythritol have induced mortality among spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) adults in the lab and greenhouse, and reduced infestation rates among fruits in the field. While promising, the erythritol formulation needs to be improved for field application and its non-target effects considered. Recently, we developed two new formulations to reduce the stickiness of sprays
The success of both integrated pest management and organic production is critically dependent on naturally occurring insect biological control agents. Numerous studies (including some in vineyard systems) have indicated that populations of beneficial insects can be increased by increasing plant diversity (e.g., through cover cropping). Research targeted specifically at the situation in eastern Washington irrigated vineyards is therefore urgently needed.
Application of particle film will affect cluster weight and must soluble solids at harvest differently, depending on vine crop load and the level of water deficit. This research shows there is limited considerations for using particle film in wine grape production for water conservation, enhanced productivity, and improved product quality in vines. However, the product does protect berry size and soluble solids in berry if vines have sufficient water and are not in water deficit when product is applied. However, as heat waves continue to rise across vine growing regions, this particle film may be of use on well- irrigated vines if sprayed prior to the extreme heat event. This study shows that on intact fruit clusters the clay particle spray will protect the soluble solids in the berry.
In recent years, there has been an emergence of shock-like disease in previously BlShV-affected fields. The recurring disease has been observed for several years in Oregon and Washington, with disease incidence exceeding 50% in some cases. Over the last decade, the use of High Throughput Sequencing (HTS) has become more widely used for plant virus detection primarily because of two important attributes lacking in current technologies: 1. The ability to provide information on virus population structure, including virus variants, of a plant in a single test; and 2. detect viruses and viroids that have no known laboratory test, also called novel viruses (Villamor et al., 2019).
