Grape Phylloxera Detected in Grand Valley's "American Viticultural Area"

Grape Phylloxera Detected in Grand Valley's "American Viticultural Area"

At the end of November an aphid-like insect that feeds aggressively on wine grape roots was confirmed in Mesa County. Known as grapevine Phylloxera damages plants by disrupting the ability of the plant to take up the water and nutrients.

Colorado Department of Agriculture Nursery and Pest Quarantine Manager Laura Pottorff says

Pottorff: "What is going on currently we are trying to assess if this infestation is more wide spread. We confirmed it in one place and we are now trying to determine if it's more widespread, so we are doing a survey. Of course awareness for growers in that area that they should — it is hard to do something right now because the plants are not actively growing. But once the plants are actively grow in the spring to look for symptoms which would be plants that are not growing very well. They are not real healthy — kind of behind other plants. The leaves may be yellow so it looks like the plant is not getting enough nutrient and it begins to show symptoms of stunting and eventually death."

She says that there is no effective way to stop an infestation once it has started. Long term growers will have to use plants have a root stock that is different from their current roots.

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