Riverina, Gundagai, Tumbarumba, Canberra, Hilltops, Cowra, Orange, Mudgee and Hunter Valley winegrape growers have been invited to invest in the future health of their vineyards by attending a free trunk disease workshop this July.

Workshops will run from 8.30 am until 12.30 pm at the Pokolbin Hall on Monday, July 6, ‘Burnbrae’, Hill End Road, Mudgee on Wednesday, July 8 and the Young Services Club on Friday, July 10.

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) horticulturist, Leo Quirk, said growers would be able to hear the latest research results from the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC) and the University of California, Davis (UCD).

“The workshops will help growers identify and manage wood rot diseases, which have been identified as a major threat to the sustainability of the local wine industry,” Mr Quirk said.

“A 2006-2008 NWGIC survey of 73 NSW vineyards, with wood samples taken from 1789 vines, found bot canker (Botryospheria) was a major cause of vine wood rot and the first cases of eutypa dieback in NSW.

“We recommend growers avoid pruning in wet weather to prevent introducing the fungi which cause the rots and the removal of diseased wood to prevent further spread.

“Once vines are infected with the fungi through pruning wounds there is no cure and left unmanaged trunk diseases reduce production and can kill vines.”

Eutypa dieback has caused annual losses up to US$260 million in California and UCD trunk disease specialist, Jose Urbez-Torres, will update growers on the latest management strategies.

Presentations will be made by NWGIC researcher, Dr Wayne Pitt and NSW DPI horticulturist, Tony Somers, followed by demonstrations of pruning and retraining to rejuvenate diseased vines.

The workshops are supported by the Hunter Valley Wine Industry Association, Mudgee Winegrape Growers Association and the Hilltops Winegrowers Association and funded through the Winegrowing Futures program, which partners the NWGIC (an alliance between NSW DPI, Charles Sturt University and the NSW Wine Industry Association) and the Grape and Wine Research Development Corporation.

To register contact:

• Melissa Romeyn, facsimile 49914535 or info@winehuntervalley.org.au for the Hunter Valley workshop, RSVP by June 29
• Rosie Thompson, 0418 606 963, 6374 1108 or rosie.thompson@fostersroup.com for the Mudgee workshop, RSVP by June 29
• Sam Allen, 0422 163 927 or sam.allan@landmark.com.au or sean.brindle@dpi.nsw.gov.au for the Young workshop, RVSP by July 3

Digital photograph available: bernadette.york@dpi.nsw.gov.au

Media contact: Bernadette York 02 6391 3936, 0427 773 785