Vineyards are at risk for damage because they are delicate and vulnerable. Here is a simple way to keep your vines alive and your harvest safe from pests.
Several types of pests are most found in vineyards: grape berry moths, leafhoppers, mealybugs, spider mites, and phylloxera. Historically, the most damaging vineyard pest control was phylloxera, a root-eating aphid, which decimated most of the wine industry in Europe during the 19th century. Today, the most common way to prevent phylloxera from destroying grapes is to graft grapes onto a rootstock that is resistant to phylloxera.
These days, vineyards are focusing on using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) rather than spraying their vines with pesticides. The IPM approach uses:
- Regular monitoring (scouting) of pest populations so vineyard managers can manage them before they reach damaging levels
- Biological controls (natural pest control) such as lacewings and predatory mites to limit pest populations
- Cultural practices such as canopy management (i.e. the way plants grow), cover crops, and proper irrigation techniques that will reduce the chances of the pest population growing
- Chemical intervention by treating pest problems only, when necessary, with selective chemicals that do not kill off beneficial insects
Organic and Sustainable Choices
Sprays made from either sulphur or copper have been available for use in organic vineyards for many years. Kaolin Clay makes an insect ‘barrier’ through its physical properties, and Neem Oil interferes with the life cycle of pests. Using pheromone traps and disrupting mating behaviour is a very effective way to control grape berry moths and eliminate chemicals from the process.
Timing Is Everything!
Different times of year create different growth phases of the vine, resulting in different insect pressures. The most critical periods for this timing are bud break, flowering, and version (when the grape berries are maturing). It is much more cost- and timing-efficient to intervene early (early-season intervention) than to wait until a later date to react to a pest infestation.
The Bottom Line
Most successful vineyard pest management is preventive rather than reactive. There is a best managed vineyard by combining things like careful observation; balancing the growth of the vineyard with its ecosystem (stocking density/weight-to-height/proportion of fruit to foliage); and intervening with pesticide products appropriately (in the correct amounts at the right time) to preserve vine health and provide good-quality fruit, while maintaining a sustainable production of grapes for future generations. See Rouse Hill Pest Control Also
