It can be costly to refuse to spray against the grasshopper that spread the disease flavescence corée. Flavescence dorée is a bacterial disease that weakens the vine. The only thing you can do to prevent the disease from spreading is to remove the infected vines and to use insecticide against the grasshopper that spread the disease. In France it is sometimes mandatory to spray against this grasshopper. This was the case for instance in the Côte d’Or in Burgundy in June this year, according to La Vigne. Growers were required to do at least one spraying.
Emmanuel Giboulet, with 10 hectares of biodynamically grown vines, refused and now risk hefty fines. Giboulet says that even natural insecticides such as Pyrevert, is harmful to other insects as well. Read more on lavigne-mag.fr
