Well, how is the galling issue this year? I have a horse in this race (now) and am looking for solutions. One is Gallex, but I am having a hard time locating a source. So far, I have been removing galls with a razor knife, and then coating with pruning sealer. I've also read some home solutions others have created (Neosporin and paint mixture is one). I have some conclusions based on observations that I will share:
- Always clean your tools.
- Never pull weeds or dig in the dirt and then pluck off a shoot/sprout with those same hands. This just transfers the bacteria from the soil to an open wound.
- Don't 'rub' off shoots with your hand even if you think your hands are clean. Instead, pick it carefully. Rubbing across a shoot creates an open wound while at the same time grinding in any possible bacteria. If you have galling in your vineyard, then you can become contaminated unknowingly.
- When you carefully remove galls, place them in a container for disposal (burning or trash). Leaving them nearby just aids in spreading the bacteria.
If you catch the galling early, allowing replacement shoots to grow into a trunk is a good strategy, but I would like to find a solution to Agrobacterium vitis. One possible solution would be to inoculate vines on planting. There has been some success using Galltrol-A or Actinovate when soaking roots prior to planting. Even though these are meant as a biological fungicide treatment, there are reports saying this also increases the resistance to crown gall bacteria. So, now that I have opined on the subject, I'd like to hear from others about their experiences and observations.