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7 Common Vineyard Threats And How You Can Prepare For Them

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Let's see some of the most common threats you may face in your vineyard and how you can prepare for each one of them for maximum yield.
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Being a vineyard owner can be a difficult task. You can have the best location in the world and make great wine, but it doesn’t mean you’ll be successful. When it comes to vineyards, some threats can impact your business.

Vineyards are vulnerable to all sorts of threats. From birds, insects, hail, frost, weeds, and diseases. According to FAO estimates, between 20 to 40 percent of global crop production amounting to around $220 billion is lost annually.

You have your work cut out for protecting your grapevines from all these threats.

Let’s see some of the most common threats you may face in your vineyard and how you can prepare for each one of them for maximum yield.

1. Birds

Birds are a threat to your vineyard. They eat and peck on your grape blossoms and prevent them from pollinating. The grapes then produce small fruits. So you have to protect your grapes from birds.

Fortunately,  there is a way to deter birds and make sure they don’t destroy your vineyard. The best way is to Install vineyard side netting to protect your grapes.

The vineyard side netting is;

  • A knitted net
  • A large mesh net that allows air and light to pass through
  • Come in three types.
  • Best biological defense against birds because they won’t get caught in the net and won’t get to your vines.

Ensure you buy bird netting from a manufacturer or suppliers who offer high quality. Once you get the net, follow this tutorial video to install your vineyard side netting.

2. Insects

Several bugs and insects seek to invade your vineyard. Insect damage can have a big impact on your production, yield, quality, and in the end, your bottom line.

Some of the most common vineyard insects you will likely encounter include

  • Yellowjackets
  • Hornets
  • Wasps

You can use pesticides to control the insects. But the best environment-friendly method is by installing vineyard insect netting.  The vineyard insect netting is strong and comes with an 8 years warranty. Other qualities include

  • Longevity – UV stabilized
  • Fine mesh with small holes
  • Lightweight and easy to handle
  • Proper light distribution

3. Hail

Hail is a common hazard for vineyards across the world. The extent of damage depends on the size, shape, velocity, and quantity of hailstones.

The  damage in regards to hail includes:

  • Crushing of the grapes
  • Shattering of the fruit
  • Marks or dents on the skin
  •  Rotting and molding of the fruit

Luckily, you can reduce the risk of hail in your vineyard.

By using vineyard hail netting, you can protect your vines from hail damage. The hail netting is placed over your vines in the early spring or at planting time.

You can buy the netting from suppliers in China. Don’t forget to also get  some accessories and tools among them:

  • Vineyards netting clips
  • Vineyard netting machines
  • Vineyard wire

4. Wind Damage

Vineyard wind damage comes from a series of high winds that can rip the grapes from the vines. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to prevent this from happening — unless you build a tall wall around your vineyard!

There are two things you can do in the event of a windstorm through:

You can put up wind barriers to protect your grapevines and reduce the chance of them being damaged. These are made out of plastic sheets that are placed between the vineyard rows. The plastic will break down over time, but it’ll absorb most of the impact from high winds.

You may also want to consider using windbreak netting to protect your vineyard. Although they may not be as effective as wind barriers, they’re less expensive and easier to set up.

5. Frosts

One of the most frustrating and devastating problems vineyards have is frost damage. When temperatures get below freezing during the wintertime it can wreak havoc on grape growth.

Frost happens when the temperature drops below freezing causing water in the plant tissues to freeze and expand, splitting the cells in the tissue and destroying the plant.

To prepare for the frost, install a vineyard drape netting. Follow the video for a tutorial on how to install the drape netting.

6. Weed Control

Weeds are expected in a vineyard.  Some of the weeds cause problems to your grapes. They compete with vines for nutrients and water, and harbor pests and diseases.

Vines can be trained to grow high enough or along a trellis to prevent weeds from growing beneath them.

You can also control the weeds by

  • Hand pulling
  • Mowing
  • Discing
  • Herbicides
  • Combination of these methods

7. Vineyard Diseases

Many diseases can affect the health of your grapevines, or even wipe out an entire vineyard. Signs of vineyard disease may also depend on the type of disease.

For instance, Phytophthora root rot will take years to manifest and often occurs in new vines. Signs may be delayed initially, but if left untreated the vine will quickly decline and die. The signs include:

  • Wilting leaves and roots
  • Browning leaves
  • Dead canes
  • Leaf perforations

Another vineyard disease is powdery mildew. It is a fungal disease that spreads quickly through a vineyard if not controlled early on. It tends to first appear on leaves and green parts of the plant before spreading to clusters.

Once the mildew reaches clusters, it might attack the grapes or cause them to ripen too soon, causing the skins to crack open when pressed for juice.

Some diseases can be controlled with fungicides and other simple measures, while others may be more difficult to manage.

Conclusion

No one can completely protect a vineyard from every possible threat. But many of these threats can be minimized or prevented through preventative practices and measures, allowing at least some vines to survive. We hope that this guide will help you prepare for these and other potential threats to your vineyard… and that you’ll continue to be as protective of your vines in the future.

If you need high-quality vineyard netting, feel free to contact a reliable and trusted vineyard netting manufacturer. Eyouagro will advise you on which vineyard netting can give a good growing environment and conditions for your vines.

Get in touch with us at info@eyouagro.com for more information about the selection of netting products. We have lots of experience and would be happy to answer them for you.

Hey, I’m Kevin Lyu, the founder of eyouagro.com , Family-run business
An expert of agriculture protection textile specialist .
In the past 26 years, we have helped 55 countries and 150+ Clients like farms, orchards , vineyards to protect their plants. The purpose of this article is to share with the knowledge related to agriculture growing protection for making the plant healthier and stronger.
We are at your disposal for any technical or commercial information

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