CALIFORNIA: With higher than average rain falls this year during the maturation of grape crops, the risk for Botrytis pressure is escalated as well.

Botrytis, also known as gray mold and bunch rot, can result in major yield loss for the vines infected. According to the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program, successful management of Botrytis can be achieved through the use of several strategies:

• Cultural control methods: Manage canopies, avoid unnecessary irrigation or nitrogen fertilization, and manage insect populations.
• Fungicides. Utilize fungicides with different modes of action, especially if major rain is expected.
• Resistant cultivars. Use varieties that are resistant to diseases.

Syngenta offers Switch® fungicide to protect grapes from devastating diseases such as Botrytis. Applied as a preharvest treatment, Switch provides up to six weeks of postharvest protection from profit-robbing diseases like sour rot and Botrytis. Combining two modes of action to provide multi-stage and long-lasting protection from infection on both leaves and fruit, Switch helps growers maximize return on investment.

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