Tools For Winegrape Growers To Beat Botrytis

By Growing Produce Staff|June 1, 2008

Botrytis is a common concern for winegrape growers because it can impact the quality of grapes directly or indirectly, resulting in lower-quality berries. The disease can also be difficult to identify. EnviroLogix has addressed the challenges growers face in regard to botrytis with the new Botrytis Testing System.

The system consists of two tools — the QuickStix Kit for Botrytis and the QuickStix for Botrytis Reader. These components can be used separately, for a fast qualitative test performed in the field, or together, for a quick quantitative measurement based on the Dewey I-W Standard. This type of measurement assists growers in making well informed decisions about harvesting and segregation.

The QuickStix Kit includes the QuickStix Strip, which detects botrytis by using an antibody that recognizes a specific botrytis antigen in grape juice. The diagnosis is straightforward, offering a “yes” or “no” result that is easy to identify.

The second component of the kit is the QuickStix Reader, which “reads” the strip for the presence of botrytis. Using the Dewey I-W Standard, the reader reports the results as a percent of infection by either weight or incidence. The Reader scans a QuickStix strip in 20 seconds, interprets the results semi-quantitatively, and then transfers those results to a PC. In addition, it saves the previous 30 results internally as a backup measure. Its ability to load codes for a broad range of analytes including proteins, mycotoxins, pesticide residues, plant pathogens, enzymes, antibodies, and molecules makes the Reader accessible to the majority of winegrape growers.