Managing pests in wine grapes

One of the best kept secrets for managing pests in Washington wine grapes is hidden in an 80-page document about integrated pest management practices that was developed for government regulators.

The document, titled “Pest Management Strategic Plan for Washington State Wine Grape Production 2014 Revision,” is an update to the pest management strategic plan published in 2004. Lead authors are Washington State University’s Dr. Michelle Moyer and Sally O’Neal.

“The report is a really long document designed to show regulators current IPM practices and to document areas that need additional research for the future,” said Moyer.

The plan, which identifies the industry’s IPM priorities, is also useful when Washington researchers and industry organizations apply for grants because it identifies research gaps and documents existing practices.

In addition to IPM, it examines control measures for new and emerging pests, looks at protocols to keep grapevine viruses and diseases out of the state, and discusses mechanization trends, sprayer technologies, and herbicide resistance management.
Nuggets

But Moyers says the golden nuggets for growers—especially new grape growers— are in the back of the report. That’s where current industry practices are found, organized by the life cycle of vines and season calendar.

Among the most valuable parts of the report are pesticide tables containing chemicals currently registered in Washington for use on wine grapes. The tables contain WSU efficacy ratings (how well the chemical works on the specific pest rated from excellent to poor), resistance potential, impact on beneficial insects, and other information.

Download a copy of the Strategic Plan at: http://bit.ly/1yamgIY