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OMAFRA: Vineyard pre-harvest pest problems

The 2022 growing season has been a challenging one for grape growers in Ontario’s Niagara region, with multiple pest problems in ripening fruit. Botrytis bunch rot and sour rot have been favoured by recent rains, and wasps and Drosophila flies are feasting on ripening berries, causing wounds that favour sour rot and Botrytis development.

Wendy McFadden-Smith, horticulture IPM specialist (grapes, tender fruit) with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), has posted about managing these two diseases and insect pests, as well as determining whether it’s worthwhile to continue spraying and when to harvest early instead. |READ MORE