Grape Disease Control: Taking Stock and Looking Forward

Controlling the plethora of fungal diseases common to our climate has always been an important part of growing grapes in New York and other Eastern regions. This has only become more important since I assumed the lead of Cornell’s grape pathology program in 1994. Major segments of the industry have shifted their focus to V. vinifera and interspecific hybrid varieties that typically are more disease susceptible (sometimes, much more) than the native cultivars long traditional to the area. At the same time, those who do grow the natives have been squeezed financially to maximize tonnage while limiting both disease losses and the inputs to control them. All while the market’s demand for quality keeps rising.