Editorial: Pests offer lessons
This phylloxera infestation is a major bummer.
The bottom line is that this microscopic insect will eventually kill every grapevine in the Grand Valley that isn’t planted with a grafted rootstock.
As the Sentinel’s Erin McIntyre reported Tuesday, the spread of the insect, first detected in a Palisade vineyard in November, is too far along for eradication. The best that growers can hope for is to stall infestations long enough to get insect-resistant vines established – a process that could take years.
This isn’t a death knell for the wine-producing industry in the Grand Valley. But it’s going to take investment and quick action to keep it flourishing. As McIntyre noted, wine growers in the rest of world have dealt with this pest for years and have survived.
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the-associated-press@coloradopolitics.com
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