In an effort to bring the European Grapevine moth under control, Chile's Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) has extended its quarantine area to two additional crops and will require growers within the zone to create 'operational work plans'. 

The Grapevine moth, known as Lobesia botrana, has previously been most prevalent in Chile's vineyards, but now further detections have been made on the country's blueberry and plum crops in certain areas.

The pest's discovery on Chilean blueberries led to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) adopting stricter measures for the import of the fruit.

SAG's National Lobesia Botrana Program executive director Grisel Monje told www.freshfruitportal.com the organization's Mandatory Control will be enforced on producers of the two fruits to varying degrees, depending on how far away their farms are from the infested areas.

"Even though until last season the Mandatory Control was only aimed toward vineyards, we were still monitoring potential hosts. Now the pest has been detected in blueberries and plums, we are incorporating more specific measures to control it," Monje said.

"So all blueberry and plum producers that are within 3km [1.9mi] of the regulated areas much enrol with SAG and present an operational work plan.

"And those within 500 meters [1640 feet] of the regulated areas are required to make a plant control program."

Chile's Ministry of Agriculture recently doubled SAG's National Lobesia Botrana Program budget in a bid to stop the spread of the moth, reduce pest populations, and ultimately move towards its eradication.

Figures from SAG show the grapevine moth is present in 408,667 hectares from the northern Atacama region to Araucania in the south..

Monje explained the severity of the pest depended on exactly which part of the country growers were in.

"Right now we the areas that are worst affected by the presence of Lobesia botrana are the Metropolitan, O'Higgins, and Maule regions," he said.

"Undoubtedly, as is common knowledge both domestically and internationally, the primary host of this pest is the grapevine, and its presence is growing in both table and wine grapes, which have been the hardest hit.

"In the case of other species, such as blueberries and plums, we have seen occasional attacks on these species but it is not an issue that we believe will be a permanent one."

Monje also called on people throughout the country to report any suspected detections on the pest to SAG immediately so the moth could be brought under control as soon as possible after its arrival.

"This issue is not a problem for the Ministry of Agriculture or SAG, but it is an issue that we must face together; it is the country's problem, affecting all our whole fruit industry," he said.

With the Chilean blueberry season just around the corner in August, even though the regions of Los Rios, Los Lagos, and Aysen have not had any detection of the grapevine moth, SAG is extending its surveillance program there to ensure the pest doesn't spread.

Lobesia botrana was first detected in Chile in 2008 in the central Metropolitan region, and damages crops by laying larvae which then rot and dehydrate of the fruit.

Photo:  Chile's Agriculture and Livestock Service

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