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;…

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded a $430,000 cooperative agreement to the California Department of Food & Agriculture on July 1, 2026, to conduct commodity-based pest and pathogen surveillance in California grape-growing regions.

The recipient will survey grape vineyards across 10 California counties for five priority pests—false codling moth, European grape berry moth, Christmas berry webworm, and spotted lanternfly—and three phytoplasma pathogens: Australian grapevine yellows, Bois noir, and Flavescence dorée. Spotted lanternfly surveillance extends to 14 counties. Survey teams will place traps at least one square mile apart, conduct visual phytoplasma inspections two days per month during trapping season, sampling two to four vineyards per county per month, with each vineyard surveyed once during the season. Spotted lanternfly visual surveys will scan within a half-mile radius of targeted locations for five minutes per site. Staff will receive training on survey methodology, preliminary pest identification, and sample submission procedures. Suspect samples will be submitted to the Plant Pest Diagnostic Center for identification by an insect biosystematist or plant pathologist. The award also funds the development of effective mitigation measures to prevent establishment of any incipient populations detected through survey work.

The period of performance runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with all work performed in California.

Activities

Surveys will be conducted in counties with large amounts of grapes, targeting pests in grape vineyards in 10 counties in california, and in 14 counties for SLF. 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. SLF's visual survey will work half a mile from targeted locations, spending five minutes scanning for signs of life stages and damage. 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. Deliverables and expected outcomes: a tabulation of the number of sites surveyed, 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 or 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. Intended beneficiary(IES): the grape industry in california is worth an estimated $84.51 billion, including the value of wine production, tourism, job creation, taxes and other economic impacts. IT is the second largest agricultural industry in the state with grape cash receipts valued at $5.64 billion in 2024. Additionally, grapes cover approximately 658,000 acres of land across the state, and the wine tourism industry alone is worth an estimated $8.07 billion. 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 they were to establish in california. Subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award: staff from the county agricultural commissioners' offices will assist in this survey. Cost categories: personnel: $97,439; fringe benefits: $38,766; travel: $36 ,504; supplies: $2,334; contractual: $174,764; other: $31,186; indirect costs: $49,007.