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GRAPE GRO WING NA VIGA TION Two schools of thought I did my graduate work at the University of California, Berkeley, in the days when many faculty members believed that pest population dynamics were regu- lated by natural enemies: parasites and predators. In other words, the natural en- emies were affecting the pest population's death rate. So the secret to pest manage- ment was figuring out how to increase natural enemy populations to the level where they reduced the pest's population below the economic threshold. I became a big believer in the power nat- ural enemies had over pests. After graduate school I went directly to Australia to work for 10 years, during which time I discovered that many entomologists there believed environment- and weather-controlled pest population dynamics and natural enemies played a lesser role. This interaction is potentially more complicated than the natu- ral enemy model, in that weather and the environment can not only affect death rate but also influence birth rate. There is a whole range of factors that can cause pest populations to in- crease or decrease. For example, one of my mentors believed that nitrogen concentration in a pest's food source regulated its populations, and out- breaks occurred when nitrogen concentra- Precision control for in- the-row management. Upfront visibility with your choice of optional t o ols makes this machine versatile and easy to use! Factory- direct and dependable service for over 30 years. Weed Badger® our Early Bird Specials! 800-437-3392 • www.weedbadger.com tions in the plant tissue rose as a result of drought, over-fertilization or other stresses. His theory was that increased quality in a pest's food source increased its birth rate and rate of growth and development. This inspired me to do some research about the topic, and I was able to show that a nitrogen increase in eucalyptus leaves increased the birth rate of leaf beetles feeding on them. Senecayuga_Jan11 11/19/10 10:13 AM Page 1 ON CAYUGA WINE TRAIL 79 ACRES; Hay barn 68x30 with full basement, workshop. Woods, gulley with creek. 3 Bedroom, 1.5 bath, with good set back from road, plus 1 bdrm. cottage on 70' west shore Cayuga Lake. Soils suitable for grapes. Was a working vineyard for many years. Licensed Real Estate Broker/Owner Office: 315-568-9404 Cell: 315-246-3997 $599,000 Mel Russo Complete_Welders_Dir10 11/25/09 1:29 PM Page 1 website: www.senecayuga.com e-mail: senecayuga@aol.com • DRY ICE • BARREL DRY ICE BLASTING • INDUSTRIAL & BULK GASES strategic capital and expertise for the wine industry www.bacchuswinefund.com (415) 828-8898 bacchuscapital@bacchuswinefund.com • SAFETY PRODUCTS • SULFUR DIOXIDE & 6% SOLUTION • WINERY EQUIPMENT Phone: (707) 258-0885 P.O. BOX 2516 Napa, CA94558 5200 COMMERCE BLVD. ROHNERT PARK, CA94928 Phone: (707) 584-0111 1549 N. BROADWAY STOCKTON, CA95205 Phone: (209) 462-3086 WWW.COMPLETEWELDERSSUPPLY.COM QSEE US AT UNIFIED, BOOTH #1136 126 Wines & Vines JAnUARY 2011 97 Fall Street, PO Box 386 Seneca Falls, NY 13148 The experience with both schools of thought (i.e. that natural enemies were the answer vs. the environment and weather being the answer) taught me that there is a whole range of factors that can cause pest populations to increase or decrease, and that for some, natural enemies play a key role, while for others the weather, quality of food and other aspects of the environment are key. —C.O.