Other Fruits > IPM Guidelines: Wine Grape

Introduction
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a systematic approach to pest management that considers all factors affecting crop health, including plant nutrition, horticultural practices, and all suitable means of pest suppression. IPM programs are based on information obtained by sampling and monitoring, and this information is used to make management decisions. Pest management tactics may include biological, chemical, mechanical, and cultural methods. An IPM program for a given crop will include some essential elements, but some practices will not be appropriate in all situations: designing a farm-specific IPM program requires flexibility.

The Massachusetts IPM Guidelines are a list of best management practices, developed cooperatively by growers, university faculty and extension specialists, and private IPM consultants. Additional input was solicited from commodity associations and participants in IPM verification programs and IPM courses. Practices have been evaluated for their practicality and assigned points based on their importance to IPM and/or their difficulty. The guidelines for most crops have been tested and adjusted through the USDA Farm Service Agency ICM cost-share program and through the Partners with Nature program. While these guidelines represent the best management options currently available, they will evolve as new IPM technologies are developed.

IPM Guidelines can be used in a number of ways: 1.) As a checklist for farmers to evaluate their on-farm pest management programs and identify areas where management can be improved; 2.) To verify and document that IPM is practiced on the farm; 3.) As an educational tool which describes the scope and complexity of IPM to farmers, government officials, community groups and the general public.

Definitions
The followings terms are used in calculating points in the IPM guidelines:

Category or Grand Total Practice Points
Refers to the sum of all possible practice points described within a category or individual crop guideline. For example, if a grower used every practice in the guideline, all points would apply.

Adjusted Category or Grand Total Practice Points
Refers to the sum of all practice points appropriate for the crop, within a category or guideline. Because some practices may not apply to the site being assessed, the points associated with that practice may be deducted from the Total Practice Points. Such practices are marked with an asterisk (*) within each guideline.

Bonus Points
Refers to points associated with practices which are of potential value to an IPM system, and are worthy of trial, but are experimental or require exceptional effort. Point values associated with these practices do not contribute to the Total Practice Points but, if the practice is completed, the points are added when calculating Grand Total Practice Points. Bonus points are labeled as such within the guidelines.

Wine Grape

by Sonia G. Schloemann

Preplant Practices and Considerations
This section can be eliminated for established vineyards or blocks for which the history is not known.

1. Suitability of the site for grape production is thoroughly evaluated prior to establishing
   grape planting. Remedial steps taken as needed, such as tiling, liming, removing
   air drainage barriers, etc. 10 pts
2. Land is planted to a plowed down cover crop(s) for one year prior to establishing
   grape planting. 5 pts
3. Nematode sampling is conducted before establishing grapes. 5 pts
4. Certified disease-free, virus indexed plants and rootstocks are used. 5 pts
5. Disease resistant cultivars are selected, when possible and appropriate. *2 pts
6. If irrigation is supplied to the plants, a water use plan that minimizes disease development,
   optimizes water-use efficiency and minimizes erosion and runoff is used. (In most cases,
   this means the use of a trickle irrigation system.) *5 pts

Category Total 32 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

1. A petiole tissue analysis is performed in the current year. 5 pts
2. A soil test is conducted for pH and nutrients. 5 pts
3. Fertilizer applications are based on soil tests and leaf tissue (petiole) analysis. 5 pts
4. Pruning is conducted in the dormant season to reestablish the structure of the vine
   and to remove diseased, and insect-infested wood. 5 pts
5. Prunings are flail-mowed, chopped, incorporated into the soil or removed from the field (to
   reduce the amount of incipient disease inoculum available for infections in the following year). 5 pts
6. A green cover is maintained in row middles either as a perennial cover or as an
   annually reseeded cover *5 pts
7. Where clean cultivation of the row middles is practiced, a fall/winter cover crop is
   planted to reduce erosion and add organic matter to the soil. *5 pts
8. Subsoiling is practiced every 3-5 years to break up hard pans and improve soil drainage. 5 pts

Category Total 40 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

1. If used, all insecticide, fungicide and herbicide application equipment is calibrated at
   the start of the season and the procedure is recorded and dated. *15 pts
2. If used, all pesticide application equipment calibration is checked at least once
   during the season and recalibrated as needed (procedure recorded and dated). *5 pts
3. Coverage of leaf surfaces by currently used equipment is tested using
   water-sensitive spray cards every 5 years or when new equipment is used. 5 pts
4. Spray records are maintained and organized. 5 pts
5. Pesticide selections are made with the goal of controlling the target pest and of
   preserving natural enemies, when that information is available. 5 pts
6. Application equipment which reduces the amount of pesticide reaching non-target
   sites is used. Bonus: 5 pts

Category Total 35 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

1. Disease problems are accurately identified and management strategies tailored to actual
   diseases present in the field in current season. 10 pts
2. Detailed records (including maps, if appropriate) are kept to document field history
   of diseases, weather information, and management strategies used and their results.
   Varietal differences are noted. 2 pts
3. Rows and trellises are spaced and oriented to achieve optimal air-flow and
   circulation to allow for good drying conditions for foliage and reduce the tendency
   for disease development. 5 pts
4. Weather monitoring is conducted to determine temperature, precipitation and leaf
   wetness using at least a min/max thermometer and rain gauge with data recorded
   daily. 10 pts
5. Disease management decisions are made according to indications from weather
   monitoring that infection periods have taken place at a time when disease inoculum
   is known to be present in the field and susceptible plant tissue is also present in
   the field. 10 pts

Category Total 37 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

1. Insect problems are accurately identified and management strategies tailored to
   insect pests actually present in the field in the current season. 10 pts
2. Detailed records (including maps, if appropriate) are kept to document field history
   of insect pests, management strategies used and their results. Varietal
   differences are noted. 2 pts
3. Insecticides are not sprayed when bees are active (during bloom). 5 pts
4. New York State Grape Berry Moth Risk Assessment protocol is completed. 5 pts
5. Pheromone mating disruption (e.g. Isomate-GBM® ties) is used to suppress grape
   berry moth damage. 5 pts
6. Pheromone traps are used to determine grape berry moth population levels in
   the vineyard. 5 pts
7. If treatment for grape berry moth is necessary, Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki
   is applied. *5 pts
8. Systematic scouting is conducted for major insect pests such as grape flea beetle,
   leaf hopper, and Japanese beetle, as needed. 5 pts
9. Twospotted spider mites (TSSM) and European red mite (ERM) are monitored
   weekly until harvest (twice a month after renovation) by systematically examining at
   least 50 mid-tier leaves and determining presence or absence of TSSM on those
   leaves. Control measures are not taken until:
   • 25% of leaves sampled show presence of TSSM and/or ERM but no
     predator mites are found, 5 pts. OR
   • 30% of leaves sampled show presence of TSSM and/or ERM and some
     predators mites are found. 5 pts
10. Twospotted spider mites and/or European red mite are controlled using releases
    of predator mites. *5 pts
11. Pesticides used for controlling other insects and diseases are selected to avoid
    those which are toxic to mite predators. 5 pts
12. Sampling (scouting) records are organized and maintained from year to year. 5 pts

Category Total 62 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

1. A weed survey is conducted at least once per season with weed problems noted
   on field maps. 5 pts
2. Herbicide rate, selection and spot or strip applications are based on the results of
   the weed survey. 5 pts
3. Herbicides of the same class are not applied in succeeding years in order to avoid
   herbicide resistance development. 5 pts
4. Weeds in and around fields, alleys, and roadways are prevented from going to seed. 5 pts

Category Total 20 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

1. Manager has a current copy of Northeast Small Fruit Pest Management Guide. 5 pts
2. Manager attends one or more state/regional/national berry management workshops
   or conferences during the current year. 5 pts
3. Manager has current membership in New England Vegetable and Berry Growers
   Association. 5 pts

Category Total 15 pts
Adjusted Total ______ pts

Grand Total 241 pts
Adjusted Grand Total ______ pts
Percentage of adjusted total %

Acknowledgement
The author gratefully acknowledges the use of the Grape IPM Protocols for the Northeast, by T. Weigle and J. Kovach, and thanks Alice Wise of Cornell Cooperative Extension and Massachusetts' vineyardists for their assistance.

Selected IPM Articles:
2001 Annual Report
APPLE
IPM Guidelines: Apple
OTHER FRUITS
IPM Guidelines: Highbush Blueberry
IPM Guidelines: Wine Grape
IPM Guidelines: Raspberry
IPM Guidelines: Strawberry