On November 14, 2013, Cornell Plant Virologist, Dr. Marc Fuchs, began a three-stop, Red Blotch speaking tour of Northern California. He began in Davis, speaking to a crowd of close to 200 at UC Davis, before moving on to Napa and Mendocino. As Dr. Fuchs is on the forefront of Grapevine Red Blotch Disease research, we on the West Coast were very lucky to have the opportunity to hear him speak. His presentation at Davis, Red Blotch: Challenges and Opportunities, was recorded and has been posted online here. You can also find the recording on the Integrated Viticulture website under Video-Taped Seminars.

The following are some main points that can be taken away from the presentation:

1. Grapevine Red Blotch associated Virus (GRBaV) is a causal agent of Red Blotch disease
2. Symptoms vary, so Red Blotch is very difficult to diagnose by sight only. Dr. Fuchs recommends having vines tested, as the testing methods are much more accurate.
3. It is nearly impossible to make accurate assumptions on a vector for the virus, but there is a study showing that the Virginia Creeper Leafhopper is a potential vector in Greenhouse settings.
4. There are still many questions that need to be answered.

This presentation demonstrates the most current information on Red Blotch Disease and GRBaV, so if you weren’t able to attend any of the talks a few weeks ago, I highly recommend you watch the recording of the talk at UC Davis.