ASST. EUROPEAN GRAPEVINE MOTH (EGVM) QUARANTINE UPDATES 8/25/11 San Joaquin County Enters Third Flight UC Scientist Lucia Varela has determined that when a locale accumulates 1250 degree days, the European Grapevine Moth has entered into the third flight. For the area included in the San Joaquin County EGVM quarantine area, that mark was achieved this week. While the area remains under quarantine, this does mean the easing of post-harvest treatment requirements for fresh grapes harvested within 200 meters of the find site. Fresh market grapes grown in this area are still required to undergo the 300 bunch inspection and obtain a Certificate of Quarantine Compliance, but they will no longer be subjected to post harvest fumigation to ensure freedom from EGVM life stages before movement. This marks an important step in our march towards eradication said Commissioner Scott Hudson. With the continued help and cooperation of local growers and wineries, we may see an end to this quarantine this year. It is important to remain diligent in our efforts, to ensure that we remain EGVM free and are not under quarantine restrictions next year. 6/6/11 - EGVM Compliance Issuance Meeting planned The 2011 eradication effort for European grape vine moth (EGVM) is well under way. To date the Agricultural Commissioner s Office has deployed EGVM detection traps in all of the County s grape growing areas and made arrangements to have the vineyards and residences located near the 2010 finds treated for EGVM. The Federal EGVM quarantine requires that, in a single season, three generations must pass without any EGVM detection before the quarantine can be lifted. Unfortunately this means that growers and wineries in the quarantined area will likely go through another harvest with restrictions on the movement and processing of their grapes. These restrictions are outlined in compliance agreements that are issued to growers, wineries, and trucking firms moving grapes in the quarantined area. Most of the compliance agreements issued for the 2010 harvest season have changed. Therefore growers, wineries, and trucking firms will need to obtain new compliance agreements with the 2011 changes.
ASST. To streamline the process for issuing new compliance agreements, the Agricultural Commissioner s Office will host three workshops in July where growers, wineries, and trucking firms may obtain their new compliance agreements. All the workshops will take place at the Grape Festival s Jackson Hall. The workshop schedule is as follows: Location: Lodi Grape Festival Jackson Hall 413 East Lockeford Street Lodi, CA 95240 Date and Time July 13 8:30 AM 12:00 PM July 14 8:30 AM 12:00 PM July 19 8:30 AM 12:00 PM The workshops are designed to have the compliance agreements issued to growers and wineries well in advance of harvest so that they may prepare for the changes and avoid harvest delays. 5/18/11- Stone Fruit Orchard inspections underway Stonefruit from inside the European Grapevine Moth Quarantine must have a Certificate of Quarantine Compliance (CQC) before moving within or from the quarantine area. Each orchard/grove must be inspected and found free of EGVM prior to first harvest and every 30 days thereafter for as long as harvesting continues. Request for inspection must be submitted to the Project at least 48 hours prior to harvest. Grower will provide the services for removal of fruit to be inspected. Fruit within each orchard/grove will be randomly selected for inspection as directed by the Project. After inspection, qualifying orchards will be issued a Certificate of Quarantine Compliance good for 30 days. Copies of this CQC must accompany fruit to the packing shed. Ensure shipments of fruit destined for packing or processing are received by an approved receiver. In other words, it is the grower s responsibility to ensure that the packing shed is also under compliance agreement. Establishment must make a copy of the CQC available upon request by the Project.
ASST. To schedule your San Joaquin County field inspection please call 209-472-1075 4/15/2011 EGVM Backyard (non-commercial) Grapevine Eradication Program Open House Meeting Scheduled San Joaquin County Agriculture Commissioners Office is working with California Department of Food and Agriculture to eradicate European Grapevine Moth from a small area near Kettleman Lane East of Lodi. The eradication efforts mainly consist of extensive trapping and the treatment of backyard grapevines. CDFA s first choice for treatment is fruit and flower removal from backyard grapevines within 500 meters of where EGVM was found. If property owners prefer, a second option would be treatment of the grapevines with Bacillus thuringiensis, BT, a naturally occurring extract of bacteria. Either option will be provided to homeowners at no cost to them. Both options are effective to help eradicate EGVM, and reduce the risk it will spread to commercial vineyards in the area. An open house to discuss the eradication has been scheduled. Time and location for the meeting are: Place: Lodi Unified School District Administration Portable Room G 1305 E Vine Street, Lodi, CA 95240 Date: April 21, 2011 Time: 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm (come anytime) 3/11/2010 Compliance Agreements for Cherry Growers and Packers to be issued. Compliance agreements and exhibits have recently been approved for growers and processors of regulated fruit other than grapes and olives. Regulation of secondary hosts, such as cherries, is a part of this quarantine. The following entities will require compliance agreements: Growers of regulated fruit inside a quarantined area. Packing sheds and processors of regulated fruit grown inside a quarantined area. Packing sheds and processors located inside a quarantined area that handle regulated fruit even if the fruit was harvested outside of a quarantine area. A meeting is scheduled to provide information regarding the EGVM quarantine, answer questions and issue compliance agreements. Place: San Joaquin County Agricultural Center 2101 East Earhart Avenue, Stockton Date: March 22, 2011 Time: Presentation - 9:00 am 9:30
ASST. Compliance Agreement Issuance 9:30 am -12:00 pm Failure to obtain a compliance agreement impacts your ability to move plants, plant parts, fruit and greenwaste. If you want to find out if you need a compliance agreement, have any questions or are unable to attend this meeting, please contact your local Agricultural Commissioner s office. 11/18/2010 New Exemptions from European Grapevine Moth regulations. The list of items exempt from European Grapevine Moth regulations now includes: Almonds in dried/split husks ready for harvest Olive fruit, leaves, stems and twigs Grape spur (canes, less than five inches in length, of the current year s growth that are dormant and hardened off but which do not have flaking bark like a cordon or trunk) If you have any questions regarding the effect of these new regulations on your operation, please call the Agricultural Commissioner s office. 09/9/2010 New Quarantine Protocols for Movement of Unfermented Pomace, Movement of Must, and Methyl Bromide Treatment of Fresh Juice Grapes. New quarantine protocols for movement of unfermented pomace, movement of must, and methyl bromide treatment of fresh juice grapes were recently developed by USDA and just adopted by CDFA. These protocols are outlined below. They will be included as amendments to the compliance agreements by early next week. These protocols can be used now. Movement of Unfermented Pomace New protocols developed by USDA and adopted by CDFA outline a process that will allow for additional disposal options of unfermented pomace. Methods of crushing wine grapes in California and shipping as pomace are considered to be low risk if the following conditions are included in the process (the statements in italics are for explanation purposes and are not part of the conditions): 1. Maintain County voluntary grower preventive vineyard treatments, state and county detection surveys, production area identification, identity maintenance, and record keeping. Since the County has implemented the USDA/CDFA approved quarantine and trapping programs, this requirement is already in place
ASST. 2. Grapes harvested from within quarantine areas or from known infested areas are to be crushed and pressed at least once at a minimum of 2 bars (28 psi or higher). This can be done by a membrane or bladder winegrape press. The pressing must be done at a minimum of 2 bars to be effective against all life stages of EGVM. 3. Solid material resulting from the process is not to be disposed of in vineyards outside the quarantine area. The processed pomace can be spread in any vineyard located inside the EGVM quarantine zone. The pomace can be disposed of outside the quarantine zone in any manner the winery chooses except in a vineyard. Examples are used as livestock feed, spread in orchards, or spread on empty fields. 4. Pomace is prohibited from interstate movement. Movement of Must New protocols developed by USDA and adopted by CDFA outline a process that will allow for an alternative way to move must. Must is freshly crushed wine grape juice that contains the skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit. Methods of crushing wine grapes in California and shipping as must are considered to be low risk if the following conditions are included in the process: 1. Preventive vineyard treatments, trapping surveys, production area identification, identity maintenance, record keeping, transit and storage are followed and verified as specifically described in the 2010 Protocol for Management and Movement of Regulated Articles Produced in Areas Quarantined for the European Grapevine Moth (Lobesia botrana) under grapes for fresh consumption ; and, 2. The must from grapes harvested from within the quarantine area are shipped in containers such as plastic half bins, plastic lined ½ ton boxes, 50 gallon plastic drums that are completely sealed. Methyl Bromide Treatment of Fresh Juice Grapes Fresh juice grapes may now be fumigated and then shipped without further conditions. If persons wish to explore this option, please contact the Agricultural Commissioner s Office for fumigation requirements and details. 09/2/2010 Recently Approved Methods for Handling Green Waste CDFA recently provided Appendix 1: Green Waste Resulting From Regulated Articles Originating In A European Grapevine Moth (EGVM) Quarantine Area that includes newly approved disposal methods. It puts in writing the return to origin vineyard method described in
ASST. the 8/24/2010 entry below. It also adds dehydration at 185 F for 18 hours or and burning or incineration within 72 hours of receipt or accumulation. These last two methods may not have much utility for most operations. See the Appendix 1: Green Waste link found under our website s Compliance Agreements section for more details. 08/27/2010 Grower Shipment Notification Reminder Growers shipping Bulk Grapes for Crush to destinations outside of the quarantine area must notify the destination Agricultural Commissioner s Office. Notice is required at least 24 hours prior to hauling the grapes. A Delivery Notification form is available on our website along with fax and phone numbers for each Commissioner s Office in the state. Use this form to meet your notification requirement. 08/25/2010 Hand Harvested Fresh Wine Grape (Juice) Movement Growers planning to ship fresh wine grapes (juice) must immediately notify our Lodi Office (331-7287). New compliance agreements must be issued and EGVM project staff must begin the certification process to ensure that these grapes are free from EGVM life stages (see 8/19/10 entry below). Failure to notify the office in a timely manner may delay or jeopardize your ability to ship due to staff workload issues. 08/24/10 Green Waste Including Pomace Allowed to Return to Origin Vineyard An additional method for green waste disposal by the receiver (winery) has been approved. The green waste, including pomace, must be segregated by the winery that keeps track of the source vineyard. This green waste is then allowed to be returned to the source vineyard, inside the quarantine area, and spread on the soil surface within that same origin vineyard. The grower (source vineyard) does not need any additional compliance exhibits. However the hauler of the green waste (pomace) must have a new Green Waste Compliance Agreement QC Permit 1291 and Exhibit GW-10. 08/23/10 Proclamation of an Eradication Project California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) issued an official notice today regarding an eradication project for EGVM within San Joaquin County. The proclamation outlines a treatment plan for properties with commercial and non-commercial grapes within 400-meters of
ASST. an EGVM detection site and requires public notification for residents within the treatment zone. On 8/24/10, CDFA and County staff will begin door-to-door notification about the eradication project for residential properties with non-commercial grapes. Only a handful of properties are impacted. The only treatment option available for these non-commercial grapes is fruit stripping and burial in a landfill. Fruit stripping will begin on 8/25/10 and be done by CDFA supervised California Conservation Corp crews. Commercial grapes within 400-meters of the detection site must be treated with a University of California Cooperative Extension recommended insecticide. These owner applied treatments were made, early in August, shortly after identification of the second EGVM moth find on August 4, 2010. 08/19/10 Hand Harvested Fresh Wine Grapes Regulations for interstate and intrastate movement of hand harvested fresh wine grapes (juice grapes) originating from inside quarantine areas were released today. Compliance agreement exhibits now exist for the growers, harvesters, haulers, and receiving establishments (packers, shippers, etc.). Requirements for movement of fresh wine grapes are more restrictive than bulk grapes for crush: Each grower s field must be trapped by project staff at 1 trap/5 acres (minimum 2 traps), be under an IPM program for tortricid moths, and receive a mandatory 300 grape bunch inspection just prior to harvest. Trap and bunch inspection is conducted prior to initial harvest and repeated every two weeks until harvest is complete. Grape shipments must be free from leaves, litter, culls, debris, etc. Bunches must be trimmed clear of all material other than grapes. Move accompanied by a Certificate of Quarantine Compliance (issued by project staff) when destined for re-packing or processing (must be an approved receiver). All final containers (bins/boxes) must have a diamond stamp for intrastate (within CA) movement. Interstate (outside CA) shipments must travel with a Federal Shield (attached to Bill of Lading). Transported to final destination in refrigerated conveyances. If you are going to harvest fresh wine grapes, notify our office immediately so that we can issue the appropriate compliance agreement(s) and make sure that traps are placed in each field prior to harvest.
ASST. 08/17/10 Tarping Update We received word today that, except for grapes in the immediate area where EGVM was found, grapes from the EGVM quarantine area no longer need to be tarped when transported within the state. However, loads must be slack filled. Slack filled is 12 below the rim for machine harvest and 4 for hand harvest. Grapes from the vineyard where the moth was found and any vineyards within 200 meters of the borders of that vineyard still must be tarped. Grapes from the quarantine area that are transported out-of-state must be tarped or otherwise enclosed.