Page 53 - Grapevine JanFeb 2022
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Around The Vineyard
products can be used to complement any spray
program and are compatible with all other inte-
grated pest management IPM tools, from beneficial
natural enemies to conventional insecticides. The
flexibility and compatibility of the products have
led to widespread adoption of mating disruption
for vine mealybug since Suterra first registered
them.
CheckMate® VMB-Fis a sprayable pheromone
most often applied using conventional vineyard
spray equipment and can be tank-mixed with many
common agrochemicals. Symmes said they’ve
seen aerial applications via drone and helicopter “By hanging VMB-XL dispensers or spraying VMB-F
depending on the time of year and vineyard access. microcapsules, vineyard managers confuse flying
Most will use standard spray equipment during male vine mealybugs so they cannot find females
the season, typically spraying about every 30 days, to mate with,” said Symmes. “While naturally
depending on the local climate, amount of pest reducing the pest’s overall populations and thereby
activity, and grape variety. No additional education decreasing crop damage, our solutions are safe for
or licensing requirements exist for the CheckMate® all of the beneficial species as well. However, it is
VMB-F application beyond what you’d have for any important to note that although area-wide mating
insecticide application. disruption is not necessary for mating disruption
to have great impacts within individual vineyards,
coordinated efforts in monitoring and disruption
would benefit the entire industry. In many per-
manent crops, there is a desire to move toward
automation when it comes to monitoring which is
understandable given labor issues and advances in
technology that show potential for this approach.
However, fully comprehensive monitoring and
visual scouting programs remain the gold standard
when we engage with growers. Trap-based mon-
itoring is only one of several approaches to gain
the information necessary to develop an effective
IPM program, especially for invasive pests like vine
mealybug.”
CheckMate® VMB-XL is a membrane dispenser. Sustainability Is Key
These are easily attached once per season to the To Long-Term Pest Control
cordon or trellis in a uniform pattern using a spe-
cially designed hook attached to the dispenser, “We see that most vineyard owners measure sus-
allowing them to emit pheromone all season long. tainability in generations,” said Symmes. “When
CheckMate® VMB-XL is approved for organic pro- you’re the fifth generation in your family to grow
duction by the EPA’s National Organic Program and on land, no one cares more about the sustainabil-
is popular with organic and conventional producers ity of that land than you. Suterra partners with
who prefer to hang this once per season over inter- growers looking to reduce the adverse impacts
mittent spraying. Based on recent trials in Europe, of pest control in their vineyard and on the plan-
CheckMate® VMB-XL is the longest-lasting VMB dis- et by avoiding the ever-increasing applications of
penser on the market. insecticides. Sustainable pest control, especially
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