June 11, 2025 (Red Bluff, CA) — Herrick Grapevines, a nursery located in Red Bluff, CA, is now the first grapevine nursery to utilize detection dogs trained to identify grapevines with vine mealybugs or leafroll 3 virus in a large-scale nursery setting. The dogs involved were originally part of a pilot project lead by Dr. Stephanie Bolton, Grower Research and Education Director and Sustainable Winegrowing Director at the Lodi Winegrape Commission and funded by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Lisa Finke’s Canine Detection
Services in Fresno trained the dogs and brought them to Herrick Grapevines to work.
In the original trials, the detector canines detected leafroll 3 virus on average 93.4% of the time, according to the pilot project. The dogs also ruled out the presence of the virus 99.6% of the time. They detected the presence of vine mealybugs 97.3% of the time and ruled out an infestation 99.6% of the time.
Hearing these results, Diego Barison, the owner of Herrick Grapevines, was eager to support this project and bring the dogs to the nursery. “Growing up in Northern Italy, dogs were trained for truffle hunting, so I know how well dogs can be used for detection. Using these trained dogs allows us to build confidence and reassure growers that we have the cleanest vines in the industry.”
The detection dogs, Malbec, Sauvi B, Cab, and Zinny spent the week walking through the nursery and motherblock. The dogs did not detect any vines with leafroll 3 virus or vine mealybugs at the nursery or motherblock. “We go to great lengths to produce the best quality grapevines, and bringing the dogs up to the nursery is a great way for us to collaborate with the industry and support new research,” Diego Barison, stated. Even though all the vines from Herrick Grapevines are Protocol 2010 certified, disease exclusion is a critical part of ensuring the highest quality vines are reaching vineyards across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Herrick Grapevines has rigorous virus testing protocols and is intentionally located far from production vineyards to minimize the potential for pest infestations.
The positive downstream e(ect that clean vines can have on a region is substantial, including the reduction of pesticide usage and increasing the vineyard’s longevity. Partnering with a nursery that has a commitment to clean vines is a great way for growers to set the vineyard up for success.
Please reach out to Brandon Emery at Herrick Grapevines for questions and videos of the dogs at work, or for a tour of the nursery.
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