June 27, 2018

5 Min Read

by David Davies, Specialty Crops Marketing Manager, Arysta LifeScience

While most of us aspire to take a little time to sit back and relax during the summer, it’s not that easy if you’re managing grapes. For growers, summer is another critical period in the fight against disease and insect pests. Here are five top tips that grape growers should consider this time of year.

  1. Proactive Management Pays Off

Growers and vineyard managers know that aggressive scouting is essential this time of year. So is a proactive approach to managing disease pressures, which will help you stay one step ahead of Botrytis and other fungal pressures.

One way is to improve air flow to reduce the breeding ground for disease spores. As leaves become increasingly dense, they have the possibility to give too much shade for the clusters of grapes. If the climate is hot and sunny, it is recommended to keep the clusters shaded by leaves for about half of the day. Proper leaf removal can improve air circulation, increase fungicide spray penetration and expose the fruit to more sunlight. Should leaves need to be removed, pick from the east or north sides of the vines, keeping leaves on the west or south sides of the vines to protect the fruit from harsh sunlight.

  1. Watch for Insect Pressures

Mites can be among the most destructive pests in a vineyard. Nothing can replace being proactive by diligently scouting the crop, determining your treatment threshold level and getting in early with your miticide treatment before a spider mite population explodes. Pest mites like the Pacific, Willamette, and Twospotted spider mites typically like hot, dry weather, so most of the damage will occur in the summer. Scouting at least once a week during these optimal periods will help determine when infestations reach threshold levels. Arysta LifeScience provides miticides with the flexibility that growers need: quick knockdown, long-lasting control, and selectivity on beneficial insects and predator mites, all for excellent IPM compatibility.

VIGILANT® and ACRAMITE® Miticides provide powerful knockdown and long residual protection against spider mites at all life stages, while being soft on beneficial insects and predator mites.

KANEMITE® Miticide offers a unique chemical subgroup for fast knockdown of all stages of spider mites, while also being easy on beneficial insects and predator mites. A short pre-harvest interval makes KANEMITE perfect for quick end-of-season mite control.

OMITE® Miticide, a highly effective rescue treatment, features a unique fuming action to target everywhere mites hide, and is repellent, flushing mites out of hiding where they are exposed to the miticide residues. Its rainfastness and lasting control make it effective throughout the season.

  1. Reset the Clock on Runaway Powdery Mildew

Mid-July through early August is an essential disease management period for Powdery mildew. This disease requires season-long maintenance because of early season inoculum and secondary infection caused by fungal spores that can infect, develop new spores and re-infect throughout summer months. Reset the clock on runaway Powdery mildew with a portfolio of Arysta LifeScience fungicides.

PH-D® Fungicide is a broad-spectrum, group 19 fungicide that provides excellent knockdown of Powdery mildew and Botrytis. It can be applied preventatively in grapes, up to three times per year, when climatic conditions exist for the development of Powdery mildew and other disease infection such as Botrytis. PH-D features a 4-hour re-entry interval (REI) and a zero-day PHI.

ELEVATE® Fungicide provides the protection that growers need against Botrytis bunch rot throughout the growing season. Because it is a member of the FRAC group 17 fungicide class, ELEVATE is an ideal tank-mix partner because it helps ensure effective disease control while helping preserve grape growers’ fungicide options for the future.

VITICURE® Fungicide helps break the infection cycle. It serves as an active protectant on grapes as well as an eradicant by controlling Powdery mildew after infection has occurred. VITICURE provides fuming action that penetrates into every nook and cranny, and into dense mycelia where some other fungicides can’t reach. It also enhances the activity of registered fungicides used for the control of Botrytis bunch rot. For example, it makes an excellent rotational or tank-mix partner with ELEVATE or PH-D for grape Powdery mildew programs.

  1. Check Your MOAs

When building your resistance management plan for the season, consider the classes of fungicide available. These classes have different modes of action (MOA), meaning they each treat the fungus differently.

Arysta LifeScience recommends rotating fungicides with different modes of action for the most effective method of resistance management. For example, PH-D prevents fungal cell wall development via chitin inhibition by enzyme interference. This unique mode of action makes PH-D a smart addition to a rotational management program when multiple applications are required.

Arysta LifeScience also recommends that growers avoid applying two sequential sprays of any fungicide without alternating with a fungicide of a different MOA. Fungicide formulations that mix more than one active ingredient may be useful to delay the development of resistance and improve disease control by broadening the spectrum of activity.

  1. Strive for Coverage, Coverage and More Coverage

When it comes to mite control in grapes, growers should not only select the right crop protection product but also focus on the best IPM practices in their vineyard. And that includes getting the best coverage when miticide or fungicide applications are made.

Mites tend to populate underneath the leaves, which often shields them from sprays. Applying miticides before the canopy gets too thick is one way to get around this. Early sprays are key, and getting the timing right — early rather than later — is critical. Lowering the speed of the sprayer will help ensure better coverage — 2 mph is ideal. Also, paying special attention to maintaining populations of beneficial insects and predator mites will help out later in the season.

You can count on Arysta LifeScience for a complete line of grape protection and a staff dedicated to keeping your vineyard going strong. Contact your retailer or Arysta LifeScience sales representative for additional information, or visit www.arysta-na.com.

OMITE is a restricted-use pesticide. Always read and follow label directions. ACRAMITE, ELEVATE, KANEMITE, PH-D, OMITE, VIGILANT, and VITICURE are registered trademarks of an Arysta LifeScience Group Company. Arysta LifeScience and the Arysta LifeScience logo are registered trademarks of Arysta LifeScience Corporation. © 2018 Arysta LifeScience Group Company. SPC-17108

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