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 on farms of less than 100 acres for the production of grape juice, with most farms yielding less than $200,000 in farm income. Most of this acreage is grown under contract with National Grape Cooperative for processing into Welchs grape juice and related products. In recent years, grape producers in the Eastern US have lost a number of effective insect pest management tools. Currently, few options are available for controlling insect pests, which is a major reason why the grape berry moth (GBM) damage to grapes has increased. The need is clear for new pest management approaches to control GBM, the key insect pest that now threaten the future of grape production in the Eastern U.S. The goal of this USDA SBIR Phase I project is to develop the pheromone product SPLAT GBM for season-long control the grape berry moth and mechanize its application with tools available to small farmers. If successful, SPLAT GBM will be an affordable organic alternative to conventional forms of GBM control. Close collaboration with extension will ensure that new information and knowledge generated will be widely disseminated widely across the main grape growing regions of the eastern US."