Wasps, hornets, and even bees are opportunistic feeders, and during the mid to late summer they are actively searching for sources of sugars. Once they find sources of sugary foods, they will aggressively forage in those areas and recruit additional workers from the colony. As such, these stinging insects can be a real nuisance in grapes, especially at harvest. Unfortunately, …
Spotted-wing Drosophila (SWD) trap catches continued to remain high at our four remaining locations in the last week of August. In addition to fall raspberry risk of damage, a key concern for grape growers should be the high numbers of SWD at Chanhassen (Hort. Research Center, HRC), and at Hastings. Traps in our network are effective at catching both male and …
As many of us across the state are either in the midst of harvesting or are finished, we can take a look back at the season that Mother Nature threw at us. For most of us, both fall and spring were unseasonably wet. The rain acted as both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because the vines experienced little …
Californians love their oak trees. During vineyard development, Central Coast grape growers often feel compelled to leave an old iconic oak standing, even if it ends up right in the middle of their vineyard. While driving through the Central Coast, it’s not unusual to see the pattern of vineyard rows broken by a majestic oak tree. Aside from their beauty, …
Grapevines are suddenly dying in Lodi and the coastal grape growing regions of California, and the cause is currently unknown. A team of extension experts at UC Davis are currently working with the industry to investigate this issue that is becoming more prevalent in the state. Watch this brief interview with Plant Pathologist Akif Eskalen as he explains and read …
Marcelo Bustamante, PhD student in Akif Eskalen’s lab, is on a mission. A sort of microbial safari. Only the fungi and bacteria Marcelo is collecting aren’t easy to catch-they live insidethe grape vine, potentially protecting it from deadly canker disease organisms. To capture these microbes, Marcelo and his lab mates use a sterile drill bit to drill a small hole in grape vine trunks and …
Representing the fifth largest wine grape producing state in the nation today, the Texas wine industry continues to grow and flourish. Watch this brief interview with Texas A&M Agrilife Viticulture Extension Extension Specialist Pierre Helwi as he shares some interesting facts about the strengths and challenges of this growing industry. Read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine.
Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) is an invasive species first detected in Minnesota in 1968. In recent years, JB adult activity has been most active in the Twin Cities region, but the beetle is also found in southeast MN, and in selected counties in central MN. In recent years, Japanese beetle (JB) populations have been increasing significantly, primarily in the southeast, …
Anti-pesticide sentiment has never been more prevalent, as California courts and anti-agricultural organizations frighten the public with non-science based claims of the harmful effects of crop protection materials such as glyphosate. What farmers need to understand though now, is that much more than glyphosate is currently at stake. The legislature is now being pressured to change the whole pesticide regulatory …
We collected our first grape root borer adults today in one of our pheromone traps in White County, Georgia. This means that the adults have started to emerge from the soil out of their pupal stage. For the next few weeks the adults will emerge, mate, and the females will lay their eggs at the base of vines. Thus if …
Terrence Wilson: Re repellent sprays, which ones? How close to harvest can they be used, and what...