Introduction

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act regulates pesticides with the help of benefit and risk assessments, balancing the economic benefits of pesticide use against the risks incurred by use. The best decisions concerning pesticides occur when regulators base judgments on complete data sets for both benefits and the risks. This report's assessment of the pesticides used to produce Pacific Northwest wine and juice grapes will be useful in addressing future regulatory actions involving pesticides registered for use on grapes.

The report is divided into several sections. Overview of the Pacific Northwest Grape Industry describes the wine and juice grape industries in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho in terms of acres, tons processed, varieties grown, and other parameters. Overview of Pacific Northwest Grape Production Practices describes the standard vineyard operations conducted throughout the year. This section also includes a description of the four-year process of vineyard establishment. Materials and Methods describes the process used to conduct the biologic and economic assessment. The Biology and Control of Pacific Northwest Grape Pests section discusses the damage each important pest causes in a vineyard. A brief description of each pest's life cycle is included, along with currently used control methods. The Biologic and Economic Assessment section provides the assessment results. This section includes tables showing relevant economic data for each pesticide active ingredient used on more than 10% of the grape acres in at least one state. At the end of the report is a list of Literature Cited, an Appendix containing the grower survey form used to collect usage data in Oregon, and a list of project cooperators.

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