The black spots and beautiful colors can be deceiving. At first glance, the Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is a beautiful insect whose colors mimic the beloved ladybug with its polka-dotted outer wings and red hind wing. But this is not the family-friendly insect that people love to see crawling on their wrist or captured in a framed print in a …

Michigan State University— It is extremely difficult to stop birds once they have tasted the sweet grapes. Bird damage in the vineyard is a concern in any grape growing region, particularly in small blocks surrounded by forests or other vegetation. The damage begins around veraison when berries begin to accumulate sugar and color and it continues until harvest, even in late …

Michigan State University Extension — Harvest 2020 is upon us, and early harvested vineyards will be limited in what pesticides can be applied due to preharvest intervals. Other vineyards still have some weeks remaining, providing more flexibility in what insecticide options are available while also having a longer time for pests to develop. This is a good time to review …

University of Missouri – Over the last 12 months I have observed crown gall becoming more apparent in some vineyards. In some vineyards infected with crown gall, close to 100% of the vines are infected. In these vineyards the most likely explanation for such a high incidence of infection is infected planting material. Based on my observations vineyards with high …

Contents of the August Issue: The Best Place to Grow Pinot Noir Bill & Lauren Hipp Retire After a Joyous Experience Sustainable Vineyard Pest Management Experts Tell of Tech Innovations Coastal Wine Industry Struggles COVID-19 Market Favors Value-Priced Wines Heroine of the Vineyards Rhonda Smith Wraps up Career

Following a decade-long effort, scientists have mapped out the genome of an aphid-like pest capable of decimating vineyards. In so doing, they have discovered how it spreads — and potentially how to stop it. The research team’s work on the genome was published this past week in a BMC Biology paper. In it, they identified nearly 3,000 genes enabling the …

Italian ryegrass is a major weed in orchards, vineyards, field crops, and fallow fields of California (Figure 1). Several different herbicides are used to control ryegrass and had been effective in reducing infestations until resistance evolved in many populations following repeated use of the herbicides. To date, resistance to glyphosate, paraquat, and some ACCase and ALS inhibitors has been confirmed …

Drosophila and Sour Rot Management University of Georgia Viticulture Extension — I just wanted to alert everyone that spotted wing drosophila (SWD) management timing is approaching soon. The SWD flies are active nearly year round in these parts, but near veraison as the brix levels in wine grapes reach approximately 15 degrees Brix, the grapes become attractive (and thus susceptible) to SWD. While …

White, yellow or brown blotches on fruit raise alarm bells, but they may be sunburn rather than a disease or chemical injury. This article lay out clues to identifying fruit damage as sunburn or another issues. Hot weather, strong sunlight, and low humidity are a recipe for sunburn on fruit crops. But another key ingredient is at play here too, …

Veraison has been spotted on grape clusters from the Horticultural Research Center in Chanhassen to Les Curry’s Marquette vines in Amboy. You know what that means: It’s almost bunch rot – err, I mean – harvest season! Key grape bunch rot diseases to look out for in Minnesota include botrytis bunch rot, sour rot, and phomopsis. Another non-disease related fruit …