UCONN IPM: Integrated Pest Management:UConn Grape IPM Message

Listed above are the updated growing degree day summary for Connecticut Vineyards I am monitoring and the Cornell University factsheet on Black Rot. Most of the symptoms I observed this past weekend were not the typical full-blown black rot which indicates to me growers are being vigilant. You are also probably aware that fruit become resistant as they mature; however the length of time for this to take place varies by cultivar. In Connecticut we often have several cultivars in close proximity so managing the disease as a unit throughout may not be possible. Just be aware of the length of time after fruit set required for a cultivar to become sufficiently resistant to avoid further infections.

I also observe numerous new black rot leaf symptoms in several vineyards where the fruit infections are few in number. It is always easy to ignore something when it is not impacting the fruit. It is important that you don't allow the leaf symptoms to get out of hand or you will be setting yourself up for problems in future years. If the pycnidia are allowed to form in the leaf spots they will mature later into the overwintering stage that set the stage for infections next Spring and Summer. This was a likely source of the explosive increase in fruit rots seen in some vineyards this year.

Richard Kiyomoto
Department of Plant Science
1376 Storrs Road Unit 4067
Storrs, CT 06269-4067
Telephone: (860) 429-0589 (Home)
Fax: (860) 486-0682
email: richard.kiyomoto@uconn.edu

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