Picture from University of California, via CDFA
AgNet West Josh McGill has the story on the voting of the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter–Pierce‘s Disease assessment.
The Pierce’s Disease and Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter (PD/GWSS) assessment referendum is a critical vote for California winegrape growers to decide whether to continue funding research and management efforts against Pierce’s Disease (PD) and other pests through 2031. Pierce’s Disease, caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa and spread primarily by the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter (GWSS), is a devastating grapevine disease with no cure, capable of killing vines within two years. The GWSS, an invasive pest introduced to California in the late 1980s or early 1990s, exacerbates the spread due to its mobility and feeding habits, posing a significant threat to California’s grape industry, which accounts for about 94% of U.S. grape production.
The referendum determines whether to extend the PD/GWSS assessment, which funds research, prevention, and outreach to combat PD, GWSS, and other designated pests like viruses, mealybugs, and the spotted lanternfly. The assessment has supported over $57 million in research since 2001, including the development of PD-resistant grape varieties and improved pest control strategies.
The annual value-based assessment has been steady at $1.25 per $1,000 of winegrape value for the past three years, raising approximately $5 million annually for the Pierce’s Disease Control Program.
Ballots were mailed in April 2025 to all winegrape producers who paid the 2024 assessment. Growers operating multiple entities received separate ballots for each.
The original deadline for returning ballots was May 13, 2025, but it has been extended to June 12, 2025. New ballots are being sent to growers who haven’t yet voted.