December 1, 2007 (Vol. 27, No. 21)
URL:
http://www-plb.ucdavis.edu/labs/rost/virtual%20grape%20dreamweaver/
Rating:
Strong Points: Link to pest info
Weak Points: Needs more original material
Summary:
When we consider biotechnology, we usually think of it in modern terms, but the reality is that biotechnology (the use of living things to make products) has been around for as long as humans have cultivated crops. Indeed, it has been claimed that wine-making and bread-making are the two oldest forms of biotechnology. At the Virtual Crops Grape site, visitors will find a sort of visual tutorial on how to grow and cultivate grapes. Most of the content presented is pretty basic, but a very important link is to the Grape Pest Management Guidelines, hosted by the University of California. Here, one can obtain a boatload of information about diseases, insects, mites, nematodes, weeds, and miscellaneous data concerning grapes. It’s a must for anyone interested in the subject. Though the original materials at Virtual Crops Grape are low in quantity, the link to the pest info is worth the effort to visit the site.
