Project Overview
Annual Reports
Information Products
Commodities
- Fruits: grapes
- Additional Plants: native plants
- Animals: bees
Practices
- Crop Production: cover crops, application rate management
- Education and Training: demonstration, extension, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research, workshop
- Farm Business Management: agritourism
- Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, habitat enhancement, riparian buffers, wildlife
- Pest Management: biological control, integrated pest management
- Production Systems: holistic management, organic agriculture
- Sustainable Communities: sustainability measures
Proposal abstract:
Washington vineyards have embraced low-input IPM. We aim to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of IPM and enhance beneficial insect conservation by restoring patches of native habitat and using native perennials as ground covers in four demonstration vineyards. IPM in Washington viticulture is based on conservation biological control (CBC) provided by natural enemies which will benefit from the provision of native habitat refugia and resources. These refugia will also provide habitat and resources for other beneficial and threatened species, such as pollinator bees and butterflies. The impact on CBC will be evaluated, monitored and compared to nearby conventional vineyards. Previous CBC research in Washington vineyards, as well as data on plants used by other beneficial species, will be used to modify species composition of restored habitat and guide the choice of ground covers. The anticipated outcome will be an innovative habitat restoration model (and marketing opportunity) for Washinton vineyards that enhances sustainable CBC and IPM and aids conservation of bees and butterflies.
Project objectives from proposal:
1. Select four demonstration (Native Habitat Restoration: NHR) and four (paired) control vineyards (from 12 that have expressed interest). NHR vineyards to have at least 10% native plant-based refugia area in and adjacent to vineyard. No refugia in control vineyards (Month 1).
2. Monitor pest and beneficial arthropods in NHR and control vineyards (April-September) to provide data on abundance and seasonality of pests, natural enemies, butterflies and bees (throughout the three year project).
3. Establish additional refugia and native perennial ground cover plots in demonstration vineyards. Aim to increase native plant refugia area to 20-25%. Aim to establish at least three ground cover species in each vineyard (Month 1-24).
4. Conduct survey of abundance of pest natural enemies attracted to flowering native perennials in southern and central Washington. Collect data for 30-50 potential candidates for ground covers (Month 1-24).
5. Establish native perennial ground cover candidates in field plot trial at WSU-Prosser for evaluation as natural enemy attractants. Select at least 15 species (Month 1-36).
6. Mass rear and release selected butterfly species in NHR vineyards using the Sustainable Prisons program. Aid in establishment of one to four south-central Washington endemic species in NHR vineyards (Month 6-36).
7. Establish and mainatin NHR website, regularly detailing progress and providing information for other vineyards wishing to adopt the program (Month 6-36).