Monitoring mealybugs in vineyards with BioGro certified Desire® Mealybug sex pheromone lures brings
rigour to this formerly time-consuming and fiddly process.
How Desire® Mealybug monitoring allows more targeted pest control
Mealybugs are an economically significant vineyard pest. The invasive bugs carry and spread grapevine leafroll virus - reducing yields and compromising wine quality. They also cause development of black sooty mould resulting in fruit being rejected. UPL NZ Ltd have partnered with Plant and Food Research to better target the bugs. Starting with lining them up for counting!
Pete de Jong, UPL NZ Ltd Northern South Island Regional Manager, says conventional monitoring involves collecting leaves and individually counting the hard to see bugs. Monitoring with BioGro certified Desire Mealybug sex pheromone lures brings rigour to this formerly time-consuming and fiddly process.
The lure releases sex pheromones that attract the males. It contains compounds mimicking sex pheromones from both, the citrophilus (Pseudococcus calceolariae) and longtailed (Pseudococcus longispinus) mealybugs, the two species most commonly found in New Zealand vineyards.
Tailoring management programmes
After seven to ten days, the sticky bases in the floor of the traps are removed and the density of the insects can be compared to photos of the insect density scale on UPL’s website. From there, Pete says, it is a simple equation. The number of mealybugs matched to the photo, divided by days the trap was in the vineyard.
This information, along with virus presence, block history, and ground sward type can be used to tailor a management programme and target higher-risk blocks when spraying time is restricted. Monitoring each year enables the spraying outcome to be assessed and adjustments made as required. Pete suggests keeping a photographic library of sticky bases with recorded vineyard locations on computer, which will help with assessing control over the years of trapping. Deployment of lures in Delta traps is recommended post-vintage. This allows for better spray programme planning for the next vintage.
Talk to your local technical representative for more details on Ironmax Pro or read more online here. Desire Mealybugs lures and Delta traps are available from your local merchant.
