Avenue Vine

Register early for the PD Symposium:
The 2007 Pierce's Disease Research Symposium will be held December 12 - 14 at The Westin Horton Plaza in San Diego, California. Please join us to find out about the latest research progress being made on Pierce's disease and its vectors.

Register early! Fees go up after November 7th.

The Rebirth of Temecula:
Winegrape growers and researchers working together in Temecula have found a way to control vine-to-vine transmission of Pierce's disease (PD). Using one application of an imidacloprid insecticide early in the season effectively stops the glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS) from spreading the disease.

Ben Drake, a Temecula winegrape grower and chair of the PD/GWSS Board, recently planted a vineyard that's surrounded on three sides by citrus groves. When asked if he was at least a bit apprehensive about planting so close to citrus groves which are known for harboring GWSS, he replied, "Not as long as I can use imidacloprid."

Look in the next PD/GWSS Board newsletter for more information on how vine-to-vine transmission of PD can be controlled

Update From Arizona:
Despite an intensive eradication effort last year, 10 male and eight female sharpshooters were found in the Sierra Vista area in southern Arizona this summer, according to Ed Hermes, public information officer for the state's agriculture department. While this year's count is far less than the 132 insects that were captured in the summer of 2006, Hermes said, "it means they're still a very real threat."

For more information on the CDFA PD/GWSS Board or to participate in the online forum, visit www.pdgwss.net or contact Nicole Stivers at Brown Miller Communications via e-mail at nicole@brownmillerpr.com or phone (925) 370-9777.