Vineyard Sanitation Part 2
Vineyard Sanitation Part 2. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.
Keeping your vineyards free from disease and pest is an on-going battle. Vineyard growers need to be aware of things like leaf roll according to Dr. Patty Skinkis, Assistant Professor & Viticulture Specialist at
SKINKIS: We do already have some vineyards with the virus and we believe that’s only from infected plant materials that they have planted into their vineyard. We don’t think it’s coming in with insect vectors or some other source. We also have some areas of the state that also have this mealy bug pest but in most cases we don’t know how many vineyards have both the insect and the virus.
Mealy bugs are known to be a carrier or vector for the leaf roll virus. Skinkis says you really have to go to the source of the problem.
SKINKIS: Virus’ cannot be destroyed by using a pesticide. Basically once you’ve got a virus you can’t get rid of it and it requires removal of those vines. And the question becomes on a vineyard level is contain, and then maintain until you need to pull them out.
Leaf roll disease has a profound affect on the grapes according to Skinkis.
SKINKIS: Grapevine leaf roll is a devastating virus worldwide because it impacts the ability of the grapes to ripen adequately therefore reducing the fruit quality and then also the wine quality. So there’s a decreasing yield and there’s also a decreasing fruit quality.
We’ll wrap up tomorrow.
That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
