Statewide Integrated Pest Management Project and Rhonda Smith, UC Cooperative Extension viticulture advisor for Sonoma County. Alexander Purcell, a UC Berkeley entomologist who has studied Pierce's disease in grapes for more than 20 years, is also a major contributor. This fully illustrated publication allows growers to recognize early symptoms of the disease, easily identify the insects that spread it and craft effective management strategies to reduce damage to their vineyards. More recently, the disease and the glassy-winged sharpshooter have been found in the San Joaquin Valley. Today, industry, government and the University are working together to keep the pest from Central and North Coast vineyards, while seeking a cure through research and field trials.
Diseased vines become nonproductive and usually die within a year or two after infection.
Currently, there is no known cure for Pierce's disease. Vividly illustrated with 26 color photographs and four tables, the field guide examines the Pierce's disease problem in six major sections.