permaculture

[Ray <ray@cash4u.com>]

forget about wine and let the trees grow.


-----Original Message-----
From: Victor Guest <vic@daena.eepo.com.au>
To: Permaculture WA <perma@eepo.com.au>
Date: Thursday, January 21, 1999 2:20 PM
Subject: Probably not news to you, but perhaps interesting (fwd)


>Sender: ag-impact@freedom.mtn.org
>Precedence: bulk
>From: Earle Cummings <earlec@water.ca.gov>
>
>When you gotta spray, you gotta spray, but here's a way to know when that
>is.  Earle
>
>To keep grapes healthy growers must contend with a persistent fungal
>disease - powdery mildew. Now growers can control the powdery mildew in
>their orchards through the increase of technology and decrease of
>chemicals. "We identified, through our research, the environmental
>parameters that result in severe disease," says Douglas Gubler, plant
>pathologist at the University of California and a member of the American
>Phytopathological Society. "By using the temperature, moisture and time
>parameters we developed the UC Davis Powdery Mildew Risk Index, a computer
>program forecasting model, which provides daily disease tracking
>information to growers."
>
>Growers can now predict how severe the disease will be in a week or two and
>can determine which fungicides will be most effective as well as the rates
>and intervals between application. "Compared with standard spray programs,
>this forecasting model lets growers apply two to three fewer fungicide
>applications during the growing season with equal or better disease
>control," says Gubler. "That means better grapes for wine production and
>potentially fewer fungicide applications which is easier on the
environment."
>
>                                                * * *