NEWSLETTER
November 2017
Advancing research to maximize the productivity, sustainability and competitiveness
 of the American grape industries.



SHORT AND SWEET

As an English major in graduate school, I dreaded taking the mind-numbing-sounding required class called "Bibliography and Research Methods." Naturally, I saved it to my last semester. But I learned more in that class than any other--not so much about compiling bibliographies and seeking out reference materials, but about writing. Really concise writing.
Our first (and as it turned out, main) assignment was to research and write a 10-page paper. The next week, we were to shorten it to five pages. The next week, to two and a half and on until each student was left with one paragraph of 50 words or less. It was tedious, often aggravating, but ultimately gratifying to whittle all those words down to their most compelling essence.
 
Not unlike developing a research statement for NGWI these last few months.
 
Since the summer, our Research Theme Committees have been engaged in a process of generating research priorities for the grape industry. The teams brainstormed, urged to think of "game-changing research" spanning wine, table and juice grapes and raisins. Collectively, the 38 people on our four committees generated more than 300 ideas in all. Then they worked to funnel their ideas into 10 or so themes and potential projects that would be most impactful for the industry.
 
The list was further synthesized by the Theme Committee Chairs and Research Chair into a concise platform that includes--for the first time in NGWI history--a shortlist of the top five research priorities for the industry. But unlike my graduate school class composition, our priorities document includes all the rich and fantastic detail behind the ideas, providing a robust roadmap that can help to drive advances across our industry.
 
The final draft of this document will be presented at the NGWI Board meeting in Portland, OR, on December 1. I look forward to sharing the final, approved version soon. And when I do, I'll be sure to try and keep it brief!
Donnell Brown
President
In This Issue
AROUND THE INDUSTRY
A YEAR'S WORTH OF GRAPE SCIENCE

The November 2017 ASEV Technical Update contains more than 50 interpretive abstracts written by authors of articles published in the four issues of the 2016 American Journal of Enology and Viticulture. Check it out--it's a wealth of current research!
WATER USE IS DOWN...EXCEPT IN THE WEST

The five-year  U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Use Survey released this month details public supply and domestic water use across the U.S. in 2015. Mostly, water use is falling, but several western states have seen increases.
FORECAST FOR AG: INCREASINGLY SEVERE

The National Climate Assessment  National Climate Assessment  made headlines in early November when it was released. Read the whole report online, or zero in on the agriculture section, which begins, "Climate disruptions to agriculture have been increasing and are projected to become more severe over this century."
BE COUNTED: U.S. CENSUS OF AG

The  U.S. Department of Agriculture  Census of Agriculture happens every five years, and it's coming up again next month. "Be counted when you receive your survey this December," says Sonny Perdue, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

RESEARCH UPDATE
REMINDER: SCRI GRANT APPLICATIONS DUE DECEMBER 8

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will distribute an anticipated $48 million in fiscal year 2018 funding for research and extension activities to enhance productivity, safety and innovation in specialty crops. Funding is made through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). The application deadline is December 8.
 
SCRI is a critically important federal grant program for grape research. It has helped to fund important work that NGWI has championed, such as the ongoing VitisGen and Efficient Vineyard projects.
 
NIFA 
invites SCRI pre-applications to solve critical U.S. specialty crop issues, priorities, or problems through integrated research and extension activities that use systems-based, trans-disciplinary approaches. Priority will be given to projects that are multi-state, multi-institutional, or trans-disciplinary and include clearly defined mechanisms to communicate results to producers and the public. SCRI's five focus areas for research are: breeding, pest and disease management, production efficiency, innovations and technology, and food safety. See the request for applications for complete details.
BIOTECHNOLOGY RISK ASSESSMENT GRANTS AVAILABLE

NIFA also is making available $3.5M in grants for research to assist federal regulatory agencies in making science-based decisions about the effects of introducing into the environment genetically engineered (GE) organisms, such as plants and microorganisms. Letters of intent for BRAG funding are due December 21. Find more info here.

IN THE NEWS
CRISPR will change the world
November 19, 2017 │ The New York Times
In a print-only edition of a special kids' section, the New York Times breaks down CRISPR technology in a way that children can understand. Here's the first paragraph: "You are made of DNA-the not-so-secret code in all living cells that maps out everything from how a tiger's fur is striped to the color of your eyes. If we could precisely edit DNA, scientists have thought, we'd have the power to cure diseases and help end world hunger. Now they've started using Crispr (pronounced 'crisper,' like the drawer in your fridge, a new method of editing DNA that might open the doors to all that and more-and people are already calling it the biggest scientific discovery of the century." (For a scan of the full article, reply to this email.)
 
November 15, 2017AgFunder News
From the  Food Loves Tech  conference comes this very good and very timely discussion of GMO vs. gene editing. Here's a snippet (pun intended): "GMO technology (has been) largely defined as the introduction of foreign DNA into an organism's genome to present certain characteristics.... Instead, CRISPR edits a crop's genome by clipping it at various places to delete or move parts of an organism's DNA to get desired traits, a process that proponents argue can happen through select breeding, but also in nature through natural selection."
 
November 13, 2017 │ Science
The country of Georgia has unearthed the most ancient evidence for winemaking in Eurasia: wine-soaked pottery shards that push back wine's genesis in the region to nearly 8,000 years ago. The Yellow Valley of China still holds the record for the oldest evidence of winemaking in the world, roughly 1,000 years older than this clay jar. Still, the discovery adds a significant milestone to the world's wine history.
 
November 9, 2017 │ AgFunderNews
Whether fed by satellite date, drone or airplane-based data, or some combination of the above, here's an inventory of 20 remote sensing startups.
 
November 7, 2017 │ Phys.org
Microbiologists in Belgium have used genetic mapping to identify, for the first time, yeast genes that produce rose and honey aromas in alcoholic beverages. The finding could be used to grow yeasts that produce these flavors (and others) on purpose.
 
November 7, 2017 │ Farm Journal AgTech
An interesting look at artificial intelligence from  Farm Journal AgTech : "The primary purpose of AI is to provide decision support and management recommendations based on field-level data. Computers add a layer of infrastructure that people don't possess: algorithms that can analyze, and find patterns inside of, massive data sets."
 
November 2, 2017 │ The Washington Post
The president's nominee for the  U.S. Department of Agriculture 's chief scientist has withdrawn from consideration in advance of next week's confirmation hearings.
 
October 31, 2017 │ California Ag Network
UC IPM Advisor David Haviland advises growers that, when the weather is inconsistent (warm to cold), mealybugs can develop asynchronously. When "all stages of the pest [are] present at the same time, using a pesticide that goes after one stage of [development] will be much less effective."
 
October 27, 2017│ Good Fruit Grower
Don't be fooled by fall foliage! Red leaves can be a sign of vine stress.
 
October 24, 2017 │ Farm Journal AgTech
This article draws on examples from Africa, but carries messages for American growers, researchers and extension specialists. When it comes to adoption of scientific advances, one ag-biotech exec says communication from scientists and biotechnology advocates still needs work. "We're still only talking to ourselves," she said. "We need to tell our stories differently."
 
August 2017 Texas A&M AgriLife
ICYMI: Researchers at  Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service  produced a report documenting the automation opportunities by labor cost in the vineyard. The report was released in May, and includes analyses for wine and table grapes.
 
Find these stories and more, published as we find them, on the NGWI Facebook page.

UPCOMING EVENTS
November 29-30, 2017
USDA Agricultural Research Service Grape Industry Workshop
Portland, OR
 
December 1, 2017
NGWI Year-End Board Meeting
Portland, OR
 
December 3-6, 2017
E. Lansing, MI
 
January 23-25, 2018
Unified Wine & Grape Symposium
Sacramento, CA
 
January 26, 2018
NGWI Annual Board Meeting
Sacramento, CA
 
February 6-8, 2018

February 20-21, 2018
Oregon Wine Symposium
Portland, OR
 
 
Find all upcoming events on the NGWI website.