Some winegrowers sprayed before the rains of the weekend to avoid contamination from powdery mildew or mildew. In Bordeaux, Languedoc or Burgundy, the situation is not yet worrying.
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Mildew eggs were not yet ripe in the Côte d’Or vineyard last week. “We relaunched a test on leaf fragments this morning, we will see tomorrow what is going on” explains Pierre-Etienne Petitot, adviser to the Chamber of Agriculture.
In Burgundy, winegrowers experienced accumulations of 10 to 25 mm of rain this weekend. “But the temperatures are quite low so even if the maturity is acquired there should be no contamination”.
In the Gard, where mildew has been ready since the end of March, Bernard Genevet is not worried. The consultant at the Institut Coopératif du Vin (ICV) saw some winegrowers treat preventively before the weekend. “It remained very marginal. The next rainy episodes will be more contaminating ».
The Gironde Chamber of Agriculture also played the delay. “We didn’t advise treatment until the weekend, and we did well because he only fell 2 mm” indicates David Clerdan, adviser in Entre-deux-Mers, who however saw a few sprayers on the way. The weather forecast announces a few more drops for Wednesday and Thursday. But, as in Burgundy, the coolness should prevent the development of the disease.
The fight against powdery mildew begins
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On the other hand, protection against powdery mildew has started in Languedoc. Bernard Genevet has seen a few flags on sensitive grape varieties such as Carignan.
In the Aude, the Chamber’s technicians have also observed them in the eastern Minervois les Hautes Corbières in the plots of the observation network that have reached at least the “2 or 3 spread leaves” stage. Same thing in Biterrois, where “the frequency of affected vines can reach 50% in carignan and chardonnay” indicates the Bulletin de Santé du Végétal (BSV). In the Pyrénées-Orientales, the first flags and transplants on leaves are visible in the Banyuls cru and the Plaine sector.
In the Côte d’Or, the earliest vines are only at the “4 to 5 leaf spread” stage. “We will give the starting signal to 7 or 8 spread sheets” says Pierre-Etienne Petitot. This will be the case, at the earliest, next week.
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