Karen Ross, California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary, has set the Pierce's disease wine grape assessment for the 2012 harvest at $1.00 per $1,000 of value.

This amount was recommended by the Pierce’s Disease and Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Board of Directors at its June meeting.

The assessment funds research to find a solution to Pierce's disease and other activities related to the transmission of the disease.

Pierce’s disease is a bacterial disease vectored by the glassy-winged sharpshooter which kills grapevines.

For more information, visit www.pdgwss.net.