Flavescence dorée is a dreaded bacterial disease that spreads through a grasshopper. It was discovered for the first time in 1949. In France it is especially difficult in parts of the southern Rhône Valley and Provence. Here we can even see a decrease in the number of organic producers because it is mandatory in some areas to spray against the grasshopper.
There is a product that the organic growers can use, based on pyrethrin. Unfortunately, in some cases, this is not so effective, which means that even organic growers sometimes have to resort to synthetic products. This means that they lose their certification. The choice can be to either see one’s vineyard devastated, or deviate from pure organic growing.
Attempts are made to find other, organically permitted products. Such as the recently launched insecticides Prev-AM, Limocide and Essen’ciel. They are all based on essential oil from oranges. However, they have not yet been allowed to be used in the fight against flavescence dorée since it is not yet proven that they are effective against the specific grasshopper that spreads the flavescence dorée.
The research continues.
Read more on this terrible pest: vitisphere.com
