Inspecting vineyards for phylloxera

Grapegrowers and vineyard staff can play a vital role in protecting South Australia from phylloxera, by inspecting their vineyards for signs of its presence on a regular basis and reporting any suspicions straight away. Historically, phylloxera infestations have always been detected first by someone "on the ground" in the vineyard.

It is not difficult or time-consuming to inspect your vines for phylloxera. It can be done while you, your staff or contractors are in the vineyard anyway - spraying, checking irrigations, yield forecasting or pest and disease monitoring. The symptoms you look for are in the canopy: slow and stunted shoot growth, failure of buds to burst, premature yellowing of one or two vines. The important thing is not to ignore the symptoms or pass them off as something else.

The Board has produced a brochure with clear pictures of what to look for, how to look and what to do if you find anything suspicious. Download the brochure or contact the office and we will send you copies. Most importantly, please introduce regular inspections for phylloxera into your normal work routine, and make sure all your workers and contractors know what to look for and the importance of reporting anything they find.

The Board runs workshops each year in Phylloxera Identification and Management. These workshops are conducted in phylloxera infested regions in Victoria, and show you how to identify phylloxera on the roots of grapevines, and canopy symptoms. Click here or contact the office for more information.