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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Davis, California » Crops Pathology and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #320699
Title: An economic case for early adoption of preventative practices for management of grapevine trunk diseases

Author
item KAPLAN, JONATHON - California State University
item TRAVADON, RENAUD - University Of California
item COOPER, MONICA - University Of California - Cooperative Extension Service
item HILLIS, VICKEN - University Of California
item LUBELL, MARK - University Of California
item Baumgartner, Kendra

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/20/2014
Publication Date: 11/20/2014
Citation: Kaplan, J., Travadon, R., Cooper, M., Hillis, V., Lubell, M., Baumgartner, K. 2014. An economic case for early adoption of preventative practices for management of grapevine trunk diseases. Workshop Proceedings. 9th International Workshop on Grapevine Trunk Diseases, November 18-20,2014, Adelaide, Australia.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The trunk diseases Botryosphaeria dieback, Esca, Eutypa dieback, and Phomopsis dieback, significantly decrease yields and vineyard longevity in California. Despite high disease prevalence and substantial yield impacts, most growers routinely wait to adopt preventative practices until vineyards are 8+ years-old and have a 10-40% disease incidence. Grower hesitation may arise in part because the economic benefits from early adoption are difficult to predict. Published experimental trials have demonstrated disease-control efficacy ranging from 28-100%, depending on the disease, of three preventative practices (in order of increasing cost): delayed pruning, ‘hand-painting’ thiophanate-methyl (TopsinM) onto pruning wounds, and double pruning. We estimated the benefits of adopting these practices in five California regions for a vineyard with a 25-year lifespan, using economic simulations for winegrape production under varying disease-control efficacy levels (25%, 50%, 75%) and vineyard ages (3, 5, 10 years-old). In Northern San Joaquin, Northern California, and Central Coast regions, taking no action results in negative overall returns. In these same three regions, which have relatively low winegrape prices, even lower overall returns are predicted when waiting until year 10 to adopt double pruning (the most expensive practice), and assuming only 25% disease-control efficacy. In contrast, adopting practices in years 3 or 5, and assuming 50-75% disease-control efficacy, translates into positive overall returns in all regions. Further, adopting these practices in year 3, and assuming 75% disease-control efficacy, corresponds to 13 more years of positive returns (>50% increase), thereby increasing profitability to nearly 99% of that of a healthy vineyard.