Life Sciences Commons^™

Spider And Leafhopper (Erythroneura Spp.) Response To Vineyard Ground Cover, Michael J. Costello, Kent M. Daane

Horticulture and Crop Science

Ground cover is used in some vineyards to improve soil structure and help manage insect pests; previous studies have shown lower leafhopper (Erythroneura spp.) densities on vines grown with ground cover. We undertook a 2-yr study to determine why ground cover is associated with reduced leafhopper densities. Ground cover consisted of a fall-planted cover crop of purple vetch (Vicia benghalensis) and barley (Hordeum vulgare), which senesced in May and was replaced by a complex of resident vegetation comprised primarily of the grasses Echinochloa spp., Digitaria sanguinalis, and Setaria spp., as well as common knotweed …