Bolstered by expertise from its in-house entomologist, Brock\u2019s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) is leading new research on managing high-priority insect pressures in the vineyard.<\/p>\n
\u201cInsect habitats are expanding through climate change and international trade, adding new challenges and compounding existing issues,\u201d said CCOVI\u2019s newest Scientist, Malkie Spodek.<\/p>\n
Spodek is evaluating whether a new technology for treating powdery mildew \u2014 a chemical-free combination of ozone, ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide developed by Niagara-based Clean Works Inc.<\/a> \u2014 can also be used as a control measure for late-stage multicoloured Asian lady beetles (MALBs).<\/p>\n The company has successfully used the technology at Vineland Estates Winery, which prompted Spodek to wonder about broader applications for the industry.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is evidence of ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide successfully being used as a control measure for insects,\u201d Spodek explained.<\/p>\n CCOVI has conducted world-leading research<\/a> on MALBs, which move from harvested soy crops into vineyards where they can be incorporated into the grape harvest. This introduces a class of molecules that contribute undesirable \u201cgreen\u201d characteristics to wine, often likened to green pepper or peanut butter.<\/p>\n \u201cGrowers have zero tolerance for MALBs, as a single insect can impact an entire harvest,\u201d Spodek said. \u201cThere is no shortage of research on its impacts, from economic and environmental implications to buyer perception, and we want to build on that foundation and find more effective management strategies.\u201d<\/p>\n Supported by the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI), Spodek will expose beetles to different variations of the Clean Works treatment in both laboratory and vineyard trials. She will then follow their lifespan for several months to determine if the treatment dispersed them or had impacts on their biology, such as to their reproductive rates.<\/p>\n If successful, the alternative treatment could reduce \u2014 or even replace \u2014 the synthetic pesticides currently used to mitigate MALBs in the vineyard.<\/p>\n Spodek is also working with CCOVI Principal Scientist Sudarsana Poojari to monitor two vineyards for insects that vector Grapevine Red Blotch (GRBV)<\/a>.<\/p>\n