Improving the muscadine grape

Native to several Asian countries, the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) was first detected in the United States in 2014 in Pennsylvania, likely arriving via imported goods. Since its arrival, the pest has spread to 15 states in the Eastern U.S., now including Georgia. While they do not bite or sting humans or animals, University of Georgia experts stress that early detection, prevention strategies and timely interventions are crucial to minimizing the spread and impact of this pest on a variety of plants.

The blueberries were suffering. It was the summer of 2022, and Amelia Lyons was working at Sweet Acre Farms, a Georgia vineyard specializing in fruit wines. While Lyons was fixing the vineyard’s irrigation for a dry summer, she noticed that small, dark red spots had appeared on the blueberries. While searching for a solution, she came across a peer-reviewed paper from the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences that addressed the exact disease she was trying to treat.

Georgia’s steadily growing wine industry has a new advocate with the hire of a new University of Georgia Cooperative Extension viticulture specialist to support the more than 85 vineyards throughout the state. Sarah Lowder joined the Department of Horticulture in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences this spring as the state viticulturist, a position dedicated to providing the best methods for the cultivation and harvest of wine grapes in Georgia.