Meeting the Challenge of Viral Disease Management in the US Wine Grape Industries of California and Washington: Demystifying Decision Making, Fostering Agricultural Networks, and Optimizing Educational Resources

Abstract

Leafroll and red blotch are two of the most consequential viral diseases threatening the sustainability of the wine grape industry. To promote uptake of management practices, there is a critical need to understand the motivating factors for decision makers and optimize the dissemination and acquisition of knowledge. From 2019 to 2020, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 42 wine grape industry professionals (“decision makers”) in the Western United States, from California (n = 32) and Washington (n = 10). The interview questions explored the perceptions and experiences of these decision makers as they learned about disease ecology, interacted with their immediate and extended community, and adopted management practices. Utilizing qualitative thematic analysis, we identified nine economic, knowledge, and social-behavioural factors along with 24 sub-factors. These factors illustrated the interplay between knowledge, communication, economics, labour, government subsidies, regulatory practices, and collaborative efforts that influence adoption. The quality of knowledge dissemination emerged as a critical aspect. Using the interview data along with a quantitative survey (n = 145), we also explored how growers use 14 educational resources to learn about grapevine viruses. Using these findings, extension educators can optimize their activities to disseminate knowledge on grapevine viral disease management. In total, this study provides context for the agricultural industry, research scientists, extension educators, and other supporting partners of the financial, interpersonal, and technical issues that must be overcome to successfully manage grapevine viral diseases.