Virginia Grape Disease Updates

I just saw Tony sent an email this afternoon to discuss about the sanitation issues.  I want to add a few more comments here to discuss this important issue.  (by the way, if you would like to be listed to Tony's email list which he also uses to publish his quarterly publication "Viticulture Note", please let me or Tony know) Since we finished the season with long rainy periods, some of you experienced increased level of downy mildew and/or Botrytis.  In addition, I have seen several outbreaks of ripe rot (which I will discuss in the next posting), and other general rots (sour rot, Aspergillus, Penicillium, etc.).  Because of that, we probably have a higher risk of having these diseases in the next season.  The question is how to deal with them. As Tony noted, it is probably a good idea to move them from the vines and place them in the middle of the row, then remove or mow.  If the berries are hanged in the trellis, these can be sources of inoculum in the next season.

I just learned that Fenarimol (Rubigan ® AS, Vintage ® SC and Focus ® , from Gowan) will be taken out from the market soon.  It was due to their business decision.  The company will sell and support the fenarimol brands Vintage SC and Rubigan AS through December 2012. Gowan is in discussion with EPA to voluntarily cancel its fenarimol registrations. The distribution channel typically has 2 years from the official date of cancellation to sell existing inventory of fenarimol products. Growers typically have no time limitation to use up fenarimol products they have purchased.  (Please remember to keep and follow the label!) It is sad to loose a good product that can be an alternative option for our powdery mildew.  It belongs to group 3 in FREC code (Sterol Inhibitors or SI), thus, the mode of action is the same as other SI's, such as tebuconazole, myclobutanil, etc.