Control of Grape Root Borer

View the project final report

Commodities

• Fruits: grapes

Practices

• Education and Training: extension, on-farm/ranch research
• Pest Management: chemical control, field monitoring/scouting, integrated pest management, mating disruption, physical control, mulching - plastic, traps
• Sustainable Communities: sustainability measures

Grape root borers are difficult to detect until they do significant damage in the vineyard; once they are detectable, they can reduce production by up to 70 percent. Current control methods are expensive, time consuming, and require restricted-use pesticides. The farmer will use pheromone traps and mating disruption as alternative control methods, and will also explore whether plastic mulch under the grapevines will trap adults as they emerge in addition to preventing egg hatch. Results will be presented at grape grower meetings, farmer gatherings, and through extension.