Vineyard Focus 2 Vineyard Vigilance Rock grape rootstock is one type resistant to phylloxera. The grape phylloxera may be the stealth bomber of the insect world. The microscopic, aphid-like insect invades the world of the vineyard undetected and silently feeds on the roots of the grapes.
Vines slowly wither and die, the symptoms mimicking other root disorders.
The insect's presence can be confirmed only by checking the roots of the plant. I n the eastern United States, where it is indigenous, phylloxera subsists on native grape varieties, which have developed a tolerance to it. The insect's destructive capacity became crystal clear when it was accidentally introduced to Europe in the mid-19th century. Phylloxera invaded wine grapes which were not resistant. By the end of the century, two-thirds of the vineyards on the continent were destroyed.