Pest and disease monitoring for sustainable viticulture

Abstract

Pest and disease monitoring for sustainable viticulture

Summary

This one-day vineyard pest & disease practical workshop has filled a niche in our region which allows vineyard staff and owners, who are primarily responsible for monitoring functions in the vineyard, to gain important knowledge in this area. Longer courses are often  more directed to vineyard management roles and the length of courses can be a hindrance. This short course provides detailed information about the most important and relevant pests & diseases in vineyards and how to identify them with confidence. Other lesser known examples are also discussed to some extent. The practical nature of the course is most beneficial, allowing close examination of samples during discussions and the presentation as well as on location in a local vineyard.

Expansion of the field trip component is an option since the course does not take a full day, and would provide a better overview, involving different vineyard locations and plantings around Langhorne Creek. Close attention to the growing season may also allow even better timing of such a course to take advantage of field conditions.

Following such a course with suitable further training in spray programming and early detection would provide the most gains from the knowledge gleaned in this course. Ultimately, to optimize spray applications in vineyards through accurate monitoring of pests and diseases will help reduce costs to the grower, risks to employees and the environment and promote sustainable viticulture.