Greenwire: California quarantined 162 square miles of Napa Valley last week as part of an all-out effort to stymie the spread of the European grapevine moth, a major new threat to the region’s lucrative grape crop.
The moth, first discovered in the region last September, has caused crop damage across Europe. Its larvae target grape flowers but also 21 other crops, including olives and kiwis.
“This pest directly attacks the fruit and the flower and that is tremendously concerning,” said Bruce Phillips, a local grape farmer. “If we are not successful in eradication, this could present serious long-term costs for us.”
Grapes within the quarantine cannot leave its boundaries, though they can be processed on site. California’s grape harvest was worth $2.74 billion last year.
Some 2,500 traps have been set for the moth in the region. Pheromone dispensers to disrupt mating will go into the field in the next few weeks while a long-term attack plan is worked out, said Jennifer Putnam, director of Napa Valley Grapegrowers, a nonprofit trade group.
“The time to get this pest is now,” Putnam said. “This spring is critical” (Malia Wollan, New York Times, March 12). – PV