1.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has been awarded a $430,000 Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care Federal Grant Program (CFDA 10.025). The purpose of this grant is to conduct a commodity-based survey of grape vineyards in the top 10 grape-producing counties in California to detect the presence of several priority pests, including false codling moth, European grape berry moth, Christmas berry webworm, and three phytoplasma pathogens. The survey efforts aim to identify any incipient pest populations early and implement appropriate mitigation measures to prevent their permanent establishment. The project will also produce data to support the validity of existing state and federal regulations and promote trade and export opportunities for the $88.12 billion California grape industry. The award period runs from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.

Purpose

The commodity-based survey of grapes will focus on the following priority pests: false codling moth (FCM), thaumatotibia leucotreta; european grape berry moth (EGBM), eupoecilia ambiguella; christmas berry webworm (CBW), cryptoblabes gnidiella; and three phytoplasma pathogens: australian grapevine yellows, candidatus phytoplasma australiense 16SRXII-B; bois noir, stolbur, candidatus phytoplasma solani 16SRXII-a; and flavescence doree, candidatus phytoplasma vitis 16SRV-C. Survey efforts also attempt to produce effective mitigation measures to prevent the permanent establishment of any incipient populations found as a result of the survey. Negative survey data will also be used to support the validity of the existing state and federal regulations while promoting trade and export. 2.

Activities

This survey will be conducted in grape vineyards in the top 10 grape producing counties in california. These counties include kern, fresno, napa, tulare, sonoma, SAN joaquin, SAN luis obispo, madera, monterey and sacramento. Traps will be placed at sites that are at least one square mile apart. The visual phytoplasma survey will be conducted two days per month during the trapping season and a total of two to four vineyards will be surveyed per month in each county depending on the vineyard's size and accessibility. Each vineyard will be surveyed once during the survey season. Staff performing the survey will be trained on how to survey, preliminary identification of the targeted pests, and the sample submission procedures. Suspect samples will be sent to the plant pest diagnostic center (PPDC) for identification by an insect biosystematist or plant pathologist. 3. Deliverables and expected outcomes: a tabulation of the number of sites trapped and sampled and the number of samples submitted can be used to determine if the survey efforts were sufficient to meet the project needs. Targeting the survey on the selected areas that have the greatest risk for introduction should allow for a reasonable expectation for the detection of the pests. Therefore, this survey should find evidence of the pests if they are being introduced. Negative survey results would indicate that the targeted pests have not been introduced and have not become established in california, thereby showing areas free from these pests. If one or more infestations are found early enough, this survey will also allow for an appropriate mitigative response. 4. Intended beneficiary(IES): the grape industry in california is worth an estimated $88.12 billion, including the value of wine production, raisins, tourism, job creation, taxes and other economic impacts. IT is the second largest agricultural industry in the state with grape cash receipts valued at $5.54 billion in 2021. Additionally, grapes cover approximately 828,000 acres of land across the state. Invasive pests continue to pose a significant threat to this multi-billion-dollar industry. These pests would be detrimental to export markets and cause devastating losses to the agricultural industry if IT were to become established in california. 5. Subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award: staff from the county agricultural commissioners' offices may assist in this survey, but there are no subcontracts awarded.