Hello JAVA members!
The new year brings new changes to JAVA, and in an effort to provide more structure and improve access to the group's data, I've decided to host JAVA on this website (lodigroweralliance.net). The "Data Dashboard" and Blog style "Updates" pages are both password protected. Please respect the privacy of other group members and do not share the password, just as you would not forward JAVA emails. If you have any questions or concerns about this new format, please don't hesitate to send me an email mzumkeller@langetwins.com or call/text (559) 269-4353.
Navigating the Site
The "Data Dashboard" shows a map that is the same format as the maps you've received in past emails, with blocks color coded based on their pheromone status and traps marked by a point and the total number of male VMB collected at that trap last season. However, in this format, you can click on the block to learn more information, should members wish to share (i.e. using tie versus tag pheromone mating disruption). In the bottom left corner of the page is a running total count of trapped male vine mealybugs (VMB) throughout the season. The bar chart to the right of this count displays how those counts were distributed over time. Next season (April-November 2025), trap count data will be published on this map every 2 weeks with the occasional blog post on this “Updates” page.
A few notes on 2024 VMB pressure:
In the 2024 season, as in the previous season, trap counts were significantly lower compared to 2020 and 2021. Weather may have played a role, as we experienced a noticeably cooler spring (particularly April and May). However, the 2024 season also featured an unusually warm fall, with October’s average temperature 3 degrees above the 5-year average for the month (data from Western Weather). While trap counts are not a direct measurement of VMB populations, they can indicate the level of mating activity in an area. As you can see in the trap count bar chart at the bottom of the data dashboard page, there was an increase in trapped males in late October, likely due to the extended period of ideal temperatures for VMB flight activity. We also observed a few hot spots in the area, as you can see on the map. As usual, the colors on the base map reflect the use of pheromone mating disruption Green = confirmed pheromone MD use in 2024, Blue = Unconfirmed/Unknown/Did Not Use, Gray = fallow in 2024.
If you used pheromone MD in 2024 and it is not reflected on the map, please send me an email/text/call and I will add it to the 2024 map!
Looking Ahead: The Future of JAVA
As we move forward, I hope this website will bring more structure to our group and foster better communication among members (feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!). While managing vine mealybug and slowing the spread of leafroll-3 in the Jahant Sub-AVA remain top priorities, this new format also allows us to monitor other threats to the local area. For example, removing Tree of Heaven and scouting for Spotted Lanternfly. If you haven’t already, check out the Lodi Winegrape Commission’s recent blog post on SLF prevention in Lodi: https://lodigrowers.com/new-information-about-spotted-lanternfly-prevention-for-california/.
Now more than ever, I believe that neighborhood grower networks like this one are critical to not only implement area-wide pest management programs, but also to advocate for action that benefit wine grape growers in our sub-AVA.
Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to bookmark this website. I’ll be back in a few months with an update as we prepare for the 2025 season!
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