Do you understand pruning wounds, infections of pruning wounds, and how to protect your vines? Grapevine pruning is an essential vineyard management practice that helps maintain plant health and fruit quality. However, this practice also exposes vines to various fungal diseases that can be detrimental to vineyard health. It’s important to know how to prevent harm and promote recovery if your vines become infected.

In this episode, we have a conversation with Dr. Akif Eskalen from the UC Davis Department of Plant Pathology on pruning wound protection and the new products available for protecting pruning wounds. Dr. Akif specializes in the identification, biology, epidemiology, and control of fungal pathogens on vines, small fruits, berries, and palm fruits in California. He is also an expert in conventional and biological products that can help your vineyard thrive.

Listen in for a multitude of tips to protect your vineyard from infections.

In this episode, you will hear:

• How infections enter vines through pruning wounds.
• How spores then find their way into pruning wounds and cause infection.
• If pruning shears are a concern for contaminating a pruning wound.
• How to deal with the sap flow and protect against reinfection.
• The synthetic products that work and don’t work.
• The field of biologicals and alternative products.
• How the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) works.

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Resources:

The biologicals mentioned by name in today’s episode are Bio-Tam, Vintec, & Botector.

If you want to learn more about protecting your pruning wounds, you can check out the FREE grower guide Preventing Grapevine Trunk Diseases available at VirtualViticultureAcademy.com.

If you have questions about today’s episode or other grape growing questions, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.

Come grow with Fritz through VirtualViticultureAcademy.com! Save $75 off your first year of membership with the code Underground at checkout.

Today’s Guest:

Dr. Akif Eskalen is a plant pathologist with UC Davis specializing in the identification, biology, epidemiology, and control of fungal pathogens on vines, small fruits and berries, and pome fruits in California.

Connect with Akif:

• Research Website: https://ucanr.edu/sites/eskalenlab/
• Fruit Crop Fungicide Efficacy Trials: https://ucanr.edu/sites/eskalenlab/Fruit_Crop_Fungicide_Trials/
• Email: [email protected]

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.