Organic control of the key pest of grapes in small eastern US vineyards: mating disruption simplified through mechanization

The majority of grape growers in the eastern US grow grapes for juice on farms of less than 100 acres, yielding less than $200,000 in income. Most of this acreage is grown under contract with National Grape Cooperative for processing into Welch's grape juice and related products. Recently the grape industry lost a number of effective insect pest management tools, remaining with very few options for controlling insect pests. Meanwhile the key insect pest, the grape berry moth (GBM), damage to grapes increased substantially and now threatens the future of grape production in the Eastern-United-States. The goal of this USDA-SBIR project is to develop the pheromone product SPLAT-GBM for season-long control the GBM and mechanize its application with tools available to small farmers. In Phase II we will build on the successes of Phase I to increase the longevity of SPLAT-GBM from 4 to 6 months, extend the effectiveness of mating disruption from the interior to the borders of treated vineyards, optimize the mechanical applicator, and transfer technology constituents through our close collaboration with extension. If successful, SPLAT-GBM will be an affordable organic alternative to conventional forms of GBM control, fostering the economical viability of small vineyards in the Eastern-United-States.