California quarantine to combat European grapevine
moth (EGVM) detection
In response to the recent detection of the European grapevine moth
(EGVM) in Napa County, the California Department of Food and
Agriculture (CDFA) has established a quarantine of 162 square miles
including portions of Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties.
The detection of an EGVM larva in a trap in the Oakville area on
September 15, 2009 was the first detection of this pest in the
United States. Confirmation of that detection led to increased
trapping and surveys that have since detected the pest at several
sites, generally contained in two pockets of infestation: one on
the eastern side of the City of Napa and the other between
Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena. Maps of the two
quarantine zones and additional information are available at
www.cdfa.ca.gov/PHPPS/PE/InteriorExclusion/egvm_quarantine.html.
"Grapes are our state's top crop," said CDFA Secretary A.G.
Kawamura. "This quarantine will help us ensure that the
infestation doesn't have an opportunity to spread. I fully
understand that quarantines impact both the public and our growers.
It is important and necessary to protect our food supply and the
larger environment from these invasive pests, so the entire
community's cooperation is essential and appreciated."
EVGM, or Lobesia botrana, is found in southern Asia, Europe, North
Africa, Anatolia, the Caucasus and in South America. The pest
primarily damages grapes, but has also been known to feed on other
crops and plants.
Inspectors are working with growers, nurseries, landscapers and
others who work with plants and fruit to guard against spread of
the pest by regulating the harvest, shipping and handling of
affected crops and plants. CDFA and local officials will plan
grower meetings to make sure the agricultural community understands
the quarantine regulations.
Residents of the quarantined area are asked to review the list of
host plants/fruits (below) and to not remove them from their
property; the produce may, however, be harvested and consumed on
site.
Scientific
Name
Common Name
Actinidia
chinensis
Kiwi fruit or Chinese Gooseberry
Berberis
vulgaris
European Barberry
Clematis
vitalba
Old-Man's-Beard or Traveller's Joy
Daphne
gnidium
Spurge Flax
Dianthus
spp.
Carnation
Diospyros
kaki
Persimmon
Galium
mollugo
False Baby's Breath or White Bedstraw
Hypericum
calycinum
St. John's Wort or Aaron's Beard
Ligustrum
vulgare
European Privet
Olea
europaea
Olive
Prunus
spp.
Stone Fruit (e.g. apricot, cherry, plum)
Punica
granatum
Pomegranate
Rhus
glabra
Smooth Sumac
Ribes
spp.
Currant, Gooseberry
Rosmarinus
officinalis
Rosemary
Rubus
spp.
Blackberry, Dewberry
Silene
vulgaris
Bladder Campion
Trifolium
pratense
Red Clover
Urginea
maritime
Sea squill
Vitis
spp.
Grape
Ziziphus
jujuba
Jujube
The EVGM larvae, not the adult moths, are responsible for the
damage to grapes. Larvae that emerge early in the spring feed on
grape bud clusters or flowers and spin webbing around them before
pupating inside the web or under a rolled leaf. If heavy
flower damage occurs during this first generation, the affected
flowers will fail to develop and yield will be reduced.
Second-generation larvae enter the grapes to feed before pupating
inside the grape. Larvae of the third generation - the most
damaging - feed on multiple ripening grapes and expose them to
further damage from fungal development and rot.
In the Oakville area of Napa County, where the original infestation
was detected last fall, one grape grower lost his entire
harvest.
CDFA, working closely with the US Department of Agriculture and
county agricultural commissioners, has begun an intensive statewide
trapping effort to determine whether the moth has infested any
other areas of the state. In addition to traps already
deployed in Napa and the immediate area, an array of traps is being
deployed beginning in the warmer, southern region of the state, and
progressing northward as the spring weather arrives, grapevines
come out of dormancy, and the moths begin to emerge if they are
present.
Source: imperialvalleynews.com