It is an alert from the Institute of Wine, Embroidery and Handicrafts of Madeira, replicated today by the Municipality of Machico, directed to the parish of Porto da Cruz, within the scope of the “Scaphoideus titanus, Ball. (St) 0 phytoplasma Grapevineflavescence dor&MLO, commonly referred to as Golden Flavescence (FD), a quarantine disease affecting grapevines, and which is transmitted by the insect vector Scaphoideus titanus, Ball (St).”
Although the Autonomous Region of Madeira belongs to the group of regions with the presence of this insect, the IVBAM states that there is no presence of the disease. However, it is “mandatory to fight against the St insect in all vineyards in the parishes where the insect has already been detected.” It is “mandatory to carry out at least one phytosanitary treatment to control the pest, in the vineyards of these parishes, even small plots or a few vines in a garden.”
In the vineyards of the parish of Porto da Cruz, winegrowers must mandatorily carry out 1 (one) insecticide treatment against St during the 1st and 22nd of August.
Scaphoideus titanus, Ball is also known as the American grapevine leafhopper and has infected most of the wine growing regions of Europe. Although believed to have been detected in the 1950’s it is thought that the vine pest has been around since the 19th century.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
