Argentina’s politicians meet to strengthen work on grapevine moth control
Date:11-23-2016
A meeting was held at the National Service of Health and Agro Food Quality (Senasa) in Buenos Aires with the goal of strengthening the joint work to combat the Grapevine Moth (Lobesia botrana).
It was attended by Sergio Uñac, Governor of San Juan province from Argentina; Jorge Dillon, President of the National Service of Health and Agro food Quality (Senasa); Guillermo Rossi, Vice President; Wilda Ramírez, Director of Plant Protection; and Andrés Díaz Cano, Minister of Production of the province.
The Lobesia botrana is a quarantine pest that attacks mainly the grape vine, causing a decrease in production by the destruction of the fruits, besides the loss of its quality. The cost associated with managing and controlling the pest in order to avoid losing more than 40% of the crop is estimated to be USD$ 300-400 per hectare each season.
The pest’s main mode of dispersion is via the transport of infested fruit. Dispersion to pest-free regions has been confirmed through tutors, infested plants that have been removed, or even harvest equipment and harvest materials (boxes, bins, etc.).
The dispersion of adults is not as problematic because they usually do not fly over distances greater than 80 meters. Grapevines that are isolated and outside the productive units (in particular cases, for example) represent an important source of infestation and subsequent dispersion of the pest.
The director of plant health stressed that "during the meeting between the national and provincial state, a joint work was coordinated to protect regional economies, by strengthening control actions of the pest."
"It is very important that both producers and municipalities must involve in the use environmentally friendly tools and implementation of the technique of sexual confusion to fight the plague efficiently," Ramírez said.
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Technical Information
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Common Name
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Grapevine Moth or European Grapevine Moth
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Scientific Name
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Lobesia botrana
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Type of Pest
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Key pest in places that grow grapes. It’s also a quarantine pest.
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Crop Attacked
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It only attacks grapevines, however, the literature mentions around 40 host plants (fruit species as well as weeds).
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Dispersion
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The main means of dispersion of the pest is through infested fruit.
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Organs Attacked
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It attacks the bunch from the moment it appears (elongation, pre-flowering, and fructification) until harvest.
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Predisposing Conditions
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The pest adapts to different climatic conditions, which has allowed it to disperse throughout Europe where between two to four generations are present each season.
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Source: CropLife Latin America
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The leadership of Senasa was highlighted on the coordination and support provided by the Ministry of Agroindustry of the nation. The commitment by the governor to support operational actions to control the pest was also highlighted.
Meanwhile, Diaz Cano said that "work was coordinated between national and province authorities to provide all human resources and machinery to farmers to prevent the pests in the province and enable a normal harvest throughout the season."
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