SubscribeLearn About Grapevine Diseases Only someone fascinated by the music genre of the 1980s would even remotely gather what song I parodied in the title of this post, but after doing the piece on Phylloxera last time I decided to take a moment to reflect on other vine nuisances that can cripple a vineyard and that’s the title that came to mind. I am by no means a ’80s music fan, just an unfortunate soul caught in the riptide of the 80s that hasn’t ebbed since my teens. I remember when “Video Killed The Radio Star” came out. MTV was to intelligence what Phylloxera was to the world’s vineyards. Neither has fully recovered since. Let’s look at some of the vine diseases caused by invading pests and organisms. Viral Diseases Leaf Roll Virus: A colorful display of gold and red leaves with a curling downward leaf blade. Mealybugs deposit a sugary excretion as they feed called honeydew, a sticky mess that resembles soft candle wax and supports mold that grows on the leaves. This causes the pigment that would normally transfer to the grapes to remain in the leaves resulting in defoliation, bunch rots and spur and cane death. The [...]
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