J. E"\TO\lOL. Soc. BIll'!". COU ' \IIJIA 70 (1973) , A pe: . 1. 1973 11

OCCURRENCE OF AND ATTEMPTS TO ERADICATE GRAPE PHYLLOXERA (HOMOPTERA: PHYLLOXERIDAE) IN I C. V . G. MORGAN', P. J. PROCTER3, AND J. VIELVOYE'

ABSTRACT The chronological occurrence, survey methods. and eradication programs of the grape phylloxera, Phyiloxera vitifoliae (Fitch) , in British Columbia are described. The insect was first found in the Valley in 1961. Though an eradication program at that time was apparently successful, the insect reappeared in 1971. It is now well established in the area. The pest was accidentally introduced on imported vines.

The grape phylloxera, Phy lloxera vitifoliae because of the rocky soil and the steep terrain (Fitch), was first found in British Columbia in the ethylene dibromide and ronne l were ap· the Okanagan Valley in September, 1961. In plied by hand equipment. In May. the so il s that month a grape grower on the West Bench were rotary tilled again and the vines were of the P enticton area reported leaf galls on replanted. At P enticton a slight odor of vines that had been planted in the s pring of ethylene dibromide was still present during the 1961 . The in sects causing the galls were planting operation. At the planting tentatively id entified by Morgan and later holes had such a strong od or of ethylene confirm ed by A. B. Stevenson. R esearch dibromide that they were left open for up to 6 Station. Agriculture Canada. Vineland Station, days before the vines were replanted. Ap· Ontario. proximate ly 23" of the replanted vines died. Following the discovery. C. L. Neilson, J. The phytotoxicity was caused mainly by the Smith and J. C. A rrand of the British dip trea tment, especially the oil. The high Columbia Department of Agriculture. con· concentrations of ethylene dibromide which ducted a s urvey and an eradication program in were s till in the so il when the fines were th e autum n and spring of 1961·62. They found replanted at Kaleden may have in creased the that the grape phylloxera had originated in a injury. No phylloxera was ever reported again shipment from Ontario of 3 000 vines of Seibel· in these vineyards. IOS 71l. These vines had been planted in 6 During the winter of 1961·62, Ontario places totalling over 4 a cres; S of the plantings nurserymen were advised to dip rooted cuttings were on the West Bench in the area destined for British Columbia. Either this and 1 at Kaled en. Leaf galls were found at treatment was not effective or it was not Kaleden and in only 1 of the plantings in thoroughly done because when a survey was P enticton. A total of about 12 vin es were in· made in the summer of 1962 of vines imported fested. that spring, Arrand found leaf galls on I vine in Since the areas of infesta tion were relatively each of the following areas: 2 vineyards at small, eradication appeared feasible. In Westbank (Seibe l·5279), I vineyard at November, 1961. all the vines in the plantings Summerland (Seibel·S279), I vineyard at at Penticton and Kaleden were removed from N aramata I variety unknown), and I vineyard the soil, dipped in a solution of nicotine and o il. at Cawston (Seibel· 1 OS 7B) . There were no root and heeled in for the winter. In April, 1962, galls on the vines. The infested vines were th e soils in the vineyards at Penticton were removed and burned and the so il was thoroughly worked with a rotary tiller; fumigated and sprayed. fumigated with a chisel·type. tracto r·drawn It is of interest to note here that between fumigator that applied 240 to 300 Ib of 1952 and 1961 , 65 shipments containing ethylene d ibromide per acre: sprayed with 64.1 00 vines were imported into British ronnel emulsion at 4 Ib active ingredient per Columbia from the United States. Eight of acre: and then sprinkled with water. The these shipments were infested with the grape vineyard at Kaleden was s imila rly trea ted. but phylloxera and were fum igated. U nfortuna tely, in s pection or dipping of vine nursery s tock Jl 'ont nhutlon 1\ 0. ;J69 , Hesearch Station, Agriculture Canada. Summerla nd. H.C from Ontario "'as not required IIntil 1962 and !Entomolo gist. Research Stati on, Summerland, B,C', fumigation not until 196,. The number of '!Regional E ntomologist and Grape & Nursery Specialist respectively, British Columbia Depa rtment of Agriculture, vines imported into British Columbia from . 8 .C'. Ontario betwee n 1952 and I c)61 is not known . 12 J . E] ''iTOMOL. Soc. BRIT. CO I X~ lIH A 70 (1973), AUG. 1, 1973

However. it is known that in 196 0 , a bout fr('eze-u p. growers were instructed in how to 10 .000 2-yea r- old rootstocks of Seibel-I OSiS sa m ple th e ir own vineyards. Prov in cial per­ were im port ed from O ntario a nd planted in sonne l then microscopically sea rched roots virgin soil b y a bout 2.:; growers from Wes tbank with swellings fo r the presence of the gra pe so uth to the Interna ti onal B ounda ry. Arra nd ph ylloxera. The number of sam ples examined surveyed all these pla ntings in the autumn of represented a bout 2000 acres of grapes. Insects 196 1. but d id no t find a ny other infestatio ns of' we re fo und on the roots in 6 .:; acres in 9 lea f ga ll s other tha n those mentio ned above. vi neyards: I in Vernon , 6 in K elowna, 1 in With th e era dica tio n of the above­ Westba nk. a nd 1 in Oliver. The Wes tbank and mentioned infestatio ns and im plementa ti on of Olive r infestatio ns had a lread y been revealed pl a nt inspection regula tio ns for a ll vin es en­ by the presence of leaf galls. The va ri eties and terin g Br itish Columbia. no other infesta tio ns the number of acres a ff ected by root in­ were so ught o r reported for 9 years. H owever. festa ti o ns were: Bath. 2 ; C ampbell E arly, 8 ; an o minous repo rt was m ade Sept. 27.1 97 1 - Concord . 9 ; f)ia mo nd . II; F och. 3; Patricill , a grower discoverf'C1 ga ll ed If'aves in a vinf'ya rd :1; R o mulus. 4; Sheridan. B; a nd Seibel­ of Foch gr apes a t Westbank . The insects in til(' IOB7S. 17. Most of the vin es had been im­ gall s were identifed by Arrand and M o rgan as ported from O ntario ; a few were from New th e grape phyll oxera and confirm ed by York . Som e of the vin es had been p lanted in Stevenson. This 3 -acre vin eyard planted in th e 1920's a nd 1930·s. H ow they became 1967 was ex tensively infes ted . An adjoining 3- infested is not k nown. b ut it is m ore than likely acre block p lanted in 19 iO had 2 infested th ey were a lread y infes ted when they were vines. A s urvey fo r leaf galls was launched imported . Phylloxer a had been intercepted a s tsh CCCooolllum bia and Canada D epart­ earl y as 1927 o n vin es imported fro m New ments of Agriculture to determine the ext ent of Yo rk . th e infesta tio n in all major vin eyards which N umerous samples o f roots from o ther had im ported lea f-s usceptible varieties sin ce vin eyards had e longated swellings and necrotic 1962. Abo ut SOS acres were exam in ed and 2 ar('as but no p h ylloxera was presen t to confirm new infestations were discovered. One was in that th e d a mage was ca used by this in sect. another v in eyard at Westbank ; a ga in there Stev('nson di agnosed these as " very probable" were o nl y 2 infested vin es in S ilcres o f Foch ph yll o xera d am age. U nfortunately. samples grapes planted in 1965. The other was at with this type of d a m age were not recorded . Oli ve r ,,·here 1.5 a cres were infested in a :l-acre They d id sugg<'s t. however. tha t the grape block of Seibe l-l OB,S pl anted in 196:;. phylloxera was p roba bl y more wid pspread than Tho ugh onl y a bout ,0', of the vin es in the th e () vin eya rd s. heav il y infested vin eyards had leaf ga ll s. nearl y H opps o f f' radicating the grape p hylloxera all were infested o n the roots. An inter pla nt. from British Columbia wer(' aba ndoned . The Seibel-lj 11 0. in the O li ver vin eyard a lso had extent of the infestatio ns ind icated tha t such a in sects o n th e roots but no leaf ga ll s. No in sects prog ram w o uld be imprac ti ca l and were found o n the roots o f the vi nes with leaf un econo mical. ga ll s in the li ghtly infested vin eyards. Most of th e a bov(' vines ha d been boug ht in Ontario. No surveys wer f' condueted in 1972 and no A number of q uara ntine m easures were ne,,· infesta tions 'I' ef(' r(' ported . H owever . implem ented in a n effort to confine the in­ cun;ory in s pec ti o ns r('vea lcd tha t root ga ll s festa tions such as fumigating the ha rvested we re plentiful. but there were practic all y no grapes. spraying the v in es a ft er ha rvest. lea f ga ll s in the infested vin evards fro m washing equi p me nt before m ov in g it to no n­ K(' lowna south. At Ve rnon. w he;e onl y root infested vineyards. a nd having pi ckers wear ga ll s we re se('n in 19 , I . a heavv infesta iion of covera ll s when worki ng in infested areas. leaf ga ll s d pve loped on s('veral - acres of F oeh Leaf ga ll s a re no t a lways a rea liable index /.,'l'a pes. of the p resence of the g rape p hyll oxera beca us(' TIl(' info rm a ti on in this note was gleaned th e in sect li ves onl y on til(' roo ts of many mostly fro III corr('s poncl(' nce a nd unpublished Ii/brusca- type grap('s. A root su rvey in the repo rt s of th e British Columbia and Cana d a outbreak of 1961-h2 p robably would have f)('partm ents of Agriculture a nd from the reveah·d a t1 10 r p f'x t e n ~ i ve in ff's ta ti o n tha n was Ca nadia n Insect P es t R evipw (compiled by C. indicated by lea f ga ll s. R ecogniz in g this G ra ha m M acN ay a nd publish(' d by the wea kness. a roo t su rvey was co nducted in Ca nada D epartment of Agriculture. Ottawa . Novem ber and D ecem ber. I Y7 1. in vin enlrds Onta ri o l for 196 1 (vol. 39. pages 20Y . 229. of the O ka naga n a nd S imilka meen va ll eys. 2B.>. a nd 30 91 a nd 1962 (vol. 40. pages 1 73 f)u t' to th e s hortage o f help a nd imp(' nding and 1<)9 1.