Grapevines undergoing Precise Indoor Vine Conditioning*
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The main event for NGRA’s Annual Meeting of the Members at the beginning of each year is our elections. Although our term of office for officers is one year, we’ve been fortunate to have low turnover among our leadership. So, officer elections have become pretty routine for NGRA for the last few years. Then 2023 happened!
As part of some 2022 organizational housekeeping, we put in place a succession plan for officers—something we never had before. In doing so, we separated the Secretary and Treasurer roles (heretofore impeccably handled as one combined role by Dan Martinez) and ensured that each officer vetted by our Nominating Committee was willing to commit (to the degree they can see into the future) to ascending to the next rung of leadership when that officer departs. (So, for example, our Vice Chair will become Board Chair if/when the Chair vacates her position.) We also asked each to commit to a two-year term as we instituted this transition.
With the election of officers at our annual meeting on January 23, 2023, we saw the new succession plan come to fruition. It created an opportunity for new folks to step in—and know they can settle in—to leadership roles with the organization, resulting in more than half our officers assuming their very first terms. It also resulted in a leadership team that’s as geographically and economically as diverse as the regions and sectors of the grape and wine industry whose research needs NGRA represents.
The new officers our members voted in last month are:
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Chair: Jessica Youngblood, Youngblood Vineyard, MI
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Vice Chair: Rich Schaefers, Nuveen Natural Capital, CA
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Secretary: Emily Hodson, Virginia Wine Board (Veritas Vineyard and Winery, VA)
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Treasurer: Dan Martinez, Martinez Orchards, CA, re-elected
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Past Chair: Tony Stephen, American Vineyard Foundation (Scheid Family Wines), CA, re-elected
NGRA’s Board Directors—currently 28 Commodity Sector, Regional and At-Large Representatives from across the U.S.—also are elected at the annual meeting. (Board Directors may be elected at any of our other two Board meetings each year, too.) As with our officers, we enjoy high retention among our Board members, so at election time, most are renewing their three-year terms. But in January, among the six Board Directors elected, we were thrilled to welcome one who’s brand-new: Natalie Collins of the California Association of Winegrape Growers. She and her five re-elected colleagues are listed here:
Commodity Sector Representative
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Wine Grapes: Rich Schaefers, Nuveen Natural Capital, CA, re-elected
Regional Representative
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California: Keith Striegler, E. & J. Gallo Winery, CA, re-elected
At-Large Representatives
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Natalie Collins, California Association of Winegrape Growers, newly elected
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Allison Jordan, Wine Institute, CA, re-elected
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Anji Perry, J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines, CA, re-elected
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Tony Stephen, American Vineyard Foundation, CA, re-elected
All Board and annual meetings are open to all NGRA members as well as prospective members, our academic partners and guests. So, we were delighted to be joined in January by new member Dustin Hooper of Sunridge Nurseries, too.
Of course, I’ve highlighted here the new leaders and members of NGRA, since that’s “news.” But the fact is, the quiet, steadfast contributions of everyone who joins, renews year after year, and volunteers time from their very full professional lives is what enables us to deliver our research mission. Thank you to all!
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*ABOUT THE IMAGE:
Precise Indoor Vine Conditioning is an innovation by scientists at North Carolina State University seeking to enable nursery stock to produce viable fruit the same year it's planted. See Research Focus below.
Photo by Josh Lewis.
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Congressional Ag Committees Seek Farm Bill Input
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Every five years, Congress passes legislation that sets national agriculture, nutrition, conservation and forestry policy, commonly referred to as the “Farm Bill.” The Farm Bill was last authorized in 2018, and it is anticipated that it will be reauthorized this year.
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Simon Liu Is New USDA-ARS Administrator
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The USDA has officially named Simon Liu as Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS); he has been acting in this role since June 2022. Dr. Liu will lead the agency in leveraging the latest advances in science and technology and developing innovative solutions to agricultural challenges facing the nation and world. Prior, he was the Associate Administrator for the agency's Research Management and Operations for more than seven years. He first joined ARS in 2010 as Director of the National Agricultural Library. He succeeds Chavonda Jacobs-Young, who now serves as Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics and is USDA's Chief Scientist.
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Funding Available to Producers for Climate-Smart Ag
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Funding is now available for agricultural producers and forest landowners nationwide to participate in voluntary conservation programs and adopt climate-smart practices. It’s made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which provided $19.5 billion over five years for climate smart agriculture, providing direct climate mitigation benefits and expanding access to financial and technical assistance for producers to advance conservation on their farms through practices like cover cropping, conservation tillage, wetland restoration, prescribed grazing, nutrient management, tree planting and more.
In fiscal year 2023, $850 million of the IRA funds will be administered via these Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs: the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, Agricultural Conservation Easement Program and Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The IRA also includes funding to quantify carbon sequestration and greenhouse gases through the collection and use of field-based data to assess conservation outcomes. In administering the IRA climate investments, USDA also will support other environmental co-benefits, including—among other things—water conservation and runoff reduction.
Applications for this competitive funding vary by program and state, and start as early as March 17. Get details.
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Lodi Research Director Is an International Farming Scholar
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The Nuffield International Farming Scholars USA selected five Americans for its 2023 cohort, including NGRA Board member Stephanie Bolton of the Lodi Winegrape Commission. Focused on capacity building for agricultural producers and professionals, the Nuffield International program provides global experiences that allow scholars to grow personally and professionally, giving them new industry insight and best practices to bring home. Following a year of group and individual global experiences, each scholar will complete a technical report on their study topic, serving as a benchmark for their findings and often positioning them as a leading expert on the subject.
For her scholarship, Stephanie will study global collaboration opportunities in viticulture. Leading Grower Research, Education and Communications for the Lodi Winegrape Commission, she will explore how wine growers and scientists internationally can best be connected around sustainable viticulture research. She hopes to create a collaborative, international network to build energy and resilience into her local agricultural community and beyond. Learn more about her project.
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Cornell Hiring Initiative Focuses on Moonshots
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In late 2022, Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) launched a hiring initiative focused on its five Transdisciplinary Moonshots. Part of the school’s Roadmap to 2050, the moonshots are framed as opportunities for the CALS community to collaborate on future-focused, cross-disciplinary scientific discoveries and breakthroughs and to align research, education and extension programs for greater impact and stronger connectivity. The innovative hiring initiative called for bringing aboard 25 new faculty in moonshot-related cohorts. Several of the proposals CALS received could have implications for grape science. For example, one moonshot project, titled “Plant Resilience for Community Resilience,” submitted and led by a team that includes grape pathologist Katie Gold, aims to use cutting-edge approaches to integrate molecular- to planetary-level inquiries to discover and innovate for plant health, and to address the impacts of threats to plant health on communities. It includes positions for a scientist focused on plant immunity in a changing climate, and another charged with empowering plant resilience advances driven by AI and big data.
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USDA-ARS GGRU Seeks Two New Scientists
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The USDA-ARS Grape Genetics Research Unit (GGRU) in Geneva, NY, has openings for two geneticists:
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The Research Plant Geneticist will conduct research to investigate genetic, physiological, and molecular mechanisms of grapevine responses to climate-change related abiotic stresses, such as cold and drought tolerance and adaptation to adverse soil conditions, which are important to the U.S. grape industries. The application deadline is March 27, 2023.
- Another position focused on pre-breeding and trait integration will elucidate the genetics and genomics of relevant grapevine traits and develop effective and efficient integration strategies, tools and methodologies, and develop novel grape germplasm with target traits, QTLs and/or genes integrated and characterized. Deadline to apply is March 23, 2023.
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Fresno State Seeks V&E Research Center Director
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The California State University, Fresno (Fresno State), seeks to hire a Ph.D.-level scientist as Director of its Viticulture and Enology Research Center (VERC), based on the Fresno campus. S/he will provide research leadership for the VERC, including but not limited to promoting and facilitating cutting-edge research, including collaborative and interdisciplinary research in areas related to viticulture and enology; increasing internal and external research opportunities for VERC faculty, staff and students and the Department of Viticulture and Enology; and developing effective liaisons with industry to further develop partnerships and collaborative research. Apply by March 9, 2023.
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Nominate an NCR-SARE Hero
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To bring awareness and pay tribute to those who have made significant contributions to sustainable agriculture in the North Central Region, NCR-SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) is accepting nominations for its NCR-SARE Hero. Anyone may submit nominations. Check out the award criteria and nomination form and recommend a worthy candidate by March 31, 2023. The NCR-SARE Hero will be named in July 2023.
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OSU Releases New Wine Production Guide
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The Ohio State University Extension has released a new Wine Production Guide, compiled by author and project leader Todd Steiner, OSU Enology Program Manager and Outreach Specialist, with chapters by respected experts. The guide provides direction for establishing a winery, an overview of wine production practices, and in-depth information about ensuring fruit quality, harvest decisions, must handling, fermentation management, cellar operations, bottling, and storage of table wines. Intended to be useful for beginning and experienced winemakers alike, it’s a complete resource for consistent production of sound, quality wines. It’s available on the OSU website in both print and PDF formats.
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NVEELC Survey Closes March 10
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A group of Extension specialists is working to define what the National Viticulture and Enology Extension Leadership Conference (NVEELC) is and does, and how it can best serve the Extension community. Help them by taking this five-minute survey, which has been extended one last time. Whether you've ever attended NVEELC or plan to in the future, if you're an Extension specialist, your opinion counts! The survey closes March 10, 2023.
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FRUIT AT FIRST LEAF
By Kyle Freedman, Amanda Lewis, Cristian Collado, Ricardo Hernández and Mark Hoffmann, all of North Carolina State University
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Researchers at North Carolina State University are working on changing a fundamental aspect of grape growing: that new vines require at least two years to produce usable fruit. Their project, called Precise Indoor Vine Conditioning (PIVC) (see photo above), conducted in collaboration with lighting partner Current, could yield grapevines that can be planted and cropped in the very same year.
Understanding cluster development is key to the research. Like many woody plant species, grapevines develop clusters over two seasons. The development of inflorescence primordia (the early developmental stages of a group of flowers) happens in the first year within the dormant buds. Budbreak and the development of clusters happens in the second year, bearing the vine’s first fruit later that season.
The dilemma is that a mature grapevine must develop inflorescence primordia for next season, while developing fruit for this season. Optimal conditions for primordia development are not necessarily the same as for fruit development. High temperatures, moderate to low nitrogen and high light intensities are important to develop inflorescence primordia, yet the same factors can hinder the development of high-quality fruit. For young vines, grape growers typically opt to develop the primordia, delaying production till at least the third leaf.
The NCSU team (listed above), led by second-year Ph.D. student Kyle Freedman, hopes that PIVC can help growers balance the development of next year’s crop with the floral development of this year’s transplant. Lighting, they’ve found, is an important part of the project.
Working with Current in a greenhouse setting, the team identified the optimal lighting conditions under which a vine develops the greatest amount of inflorescence primordia and eventually clusters. Using Current’s advanced, programmable LED lighting options, they investigated the impact of different—and very precise—light intensities (amount of light) and durations of exposure (photoperiod) on primordia and cluster development, hence, the project name.
Kyle explained that the purpose of a controlled environment with advanced lighting is to give the grapevines ideal conditions to promote growth and development. During traditional nursery production, young grapevines experience a wide range of environmental conditions, such as reduced light from shading and cloudy days, and temperature fluctuations, both of which can inhibit growth and development. “While we don’t anticipate a shift from vineyard-grown grapes to greenhouses,” Kyle noted, “we do believe this system could provide new methods of nursery production and supply growers with stronger plants that could yield harvestable fruit earlier.”
Results from the light conditioning phase of Kyle’s research show that net photosynthetic rate increases significantly for Traminette moving from low to high supplemental light intensity and from low to medium for Concord. This distinction is important as not all plants can process additional amounts of light for photosynthesis, which is essential for increasing fruiting capacity. In addition, clusters were counted on the indoor-conditioned Traminette vines after they were transplanted in a local North Carolina vineyard, with the highest cluster counts observed in vines that had received medium supplemental light intensity in the greenhouse. With optimal light intensity to increase fruitfulness thus identified, it can be tested on future cultivars. Next steps in Kyle’s research include investigating the impacts of container size on root development as well as evaluating whole system’s economic feasibility.
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Present Your Research at ASEV-ES
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The American Society for Enology and Viticulture -Eastern Section (ASEV-ES) is accepting abstracts for presentations and posters during its annual conference in Austin, TX, June 7-9, 2023. Learn more and submit your abstract(s) by March 15, 2023.
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This FFAR program addresses research to solve urgent issues across its six Challenge Areas: soil health, sustainable water management, next-generation crops, health-agriculture nexus, urban food systems and advanced animal systems. FFAR will award a total of up to $10 million in grants this year, with individual awards ranging from $300,000 to $1 million. The deadline for pre-proposals is March 8, 2023.
The IAB funds research to promote the production of fruit tree, nut tree and grapevines resulting in improved nursery stock. Funded projects commonly include research of diseases and genetic disorders, variety identification, education and outreach, alternative treatment methods, and rootstock advancements as it relates to the production of high-quality tree and grapevine nursery stock. Deadline to apply is April 3, 2023.
The North Central Region of Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) gives grants for professional development projects that provide sustainable agriculture training to agricultural professionals and educators in the Cooperative Extension Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service and other governmental agencies, and educators in the profit and non-profit sector serving the food and fiber system in its 12-state region. Projects can be up to three years and up to $120,000. Proposals are due on April 6, 2023.
The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) is accepting applications for its 2023-2026 FFAR Fellows cohort. The deadline for professional development ($10,000 award) is April 15, 2023.
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Applying for a grant? Request a letter of support!
NGRA is pleased to provide letters of support for research projects that directly address our industry-set research priorities. Request a letter by completing our online request form at least two weeks prior to the grant deadline (or any internal deadline you may have). Requests are reviewed and approved by NGRA Research Committee leadership, so processing times may vary.
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February 17, 2023 | Entomology Today
Scientists can render fruit flies' mating efforts moot by sterilizing male fruit flies by irradiating them in pupae. They’ve found that this sterile insect technique can be even more effective by creating “genetic sexing strains,” or flies with sex-specific, visible physical characteristics. Breeding bugs with various colored pupae was one approach. Now altering eye color via gene editing seeks to speed up the process of creating infertile colonies of even more visibly distinct flies.
February 15, 2023 | Good Fruit Grower
Long before Southern Oregon irrigation districts cut off irrigation water to grape growers in 2021, Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center Director Alec Levin had been conducting irrigation research focused on doing more with less. But one trial that year used vine stress metrics to determine when to start irrigation. His number-one finding? “The longer you wait to start, the less yield you’ll have—period,” he said. Alec also found that a small delay in irrigation onset increased Brix at harvest, but waiting longer had the opposite effect, demonstrating how irrigation strategies can impact production goals.
February 13, 2023 | Good Fruit Grower
Speaking to Lake Erie grape growers, UC Davis Extension specialist Kaan Kurtural estimated that 90% of California’s 900,000 acres of wine grapes is machine-harvested and 2/3 pruned mechanically. The impetus was to reduce costs and alleviate labor shortages, he said, but growers have discovered that mechanization can improve fruit quality, provide more predictable yields and boost vineyard longevity. Many of the improvements, he added, stem from the uniformity and efficiency that comes with mechanization.
February 10, 2023 | Frontiers in Insect Science
Scientists at Penn State did host range assessments for Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) to assess the pest’s ability to survive and thrive on diets of various crop host plants in the presence or absence of tree of heaven, a primary host from the invasive pest’s native range. Vinifera and muscadinia grape species What they found was, SLF had strong development and high survival across all SLF life stages on a diet of winegrape alone—no tree of heaven needed. Muscadines proved host-worthy for adults.
February 9, 2023 | Good Fruit Grower
A 3-season research trial by Oregon State’s Patty Skinkis captured soil moisture dynamics in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, which is dry-farmed but typically wet, with groundwater often just 2-3 feet below the surface. Understanding soil water dynamics—given the role water stress plays in fruit quality—will help the region adapt to a changing climate with drier growing seasons, she said. For example, during the 2021 drought, the data helped reassure growers that most vines had enough moisture in the “soil’s reservoir” to make it through.
February 6, 2023 | Growing Produce
In 2017, scientists at the University of Nebraska Viticulture Program planted five table grape varieties in high tunnels to see if they might be a viable high-value crop for their region, if grown in an indoor environment. With impressive yields from 2019-2021, the team determined that, “While expensive, protecting susceptible grape cultivars with a high tunnel may prove to be a viable option for many Midwestern grape growers.”
February 2, 2023 | MIT Technology Review
Researchers are adding CRISPR gene-editing technology to their anti-Pierce’s disease arsenal, by changing the genome of the glassy-winged sharpshooter so that it can no longer spread the bacterium. Previous research from UC Berkeley has shown that a carbohydrate in the sharpshooter’s mouth makes it easier for the PD-causing bacteria to stick, and pointed to certain molecules that, if altered, could change that. Now, a group at UC Riverside is working to insert genes in the sharpshooter’s genome to transform the tissue in the bug’s mouth so that it acts like Teflon, causing Pierce’s-causing bacteria to slide right off.
February 2, 2023 | Capital Press
Researchers are working to automate perennial crops' traditionally manual tasks, such as precision fertilization, pruning, fruit thinning and harvest, ideally via a base robot with special attachments for different tasks. Robotic pruning is a top priority. Scientists at Carnegie Mellon and Cornell are working on a fully autonomous grapevine pruning robot. Most researchers don't expect automated pruning to be commercially viable for 5 to 8 more years.
February 1, 2023 | Good Fruit Grower
In this think piece, NGRA Board member Vicky Scharlau of Washington Winegrowers shows how industry collaboration and focus can ignite science (and funding) to solve our most pressing challenges. “With each (challenge or opportunity), the industry can choose to—or is forced to—respond with a reactive or a proactive approach,” she writes. “For example, while mechanization has been a research and development darling for decades, only once the ag industry was painfully short of labor did the focus and funding quickly move toward mechanizing.” She cites NGRA and the West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force as examples.
January 31, 2023 | The Drinks Business
Wales’ Gwinllan Conwy Vineyard is laying white sheep fleeces on the ground between its vines to fight weeds and reflect sunlight to help ripen the grapes. “When we analysed the soil and leaf samples, their nutrients were in perfect balance,” said winery co-owner Colin Bennett of their initial trial with the fleeces. “It seems that as the fleeces degrade, they release nutrients into the soil, feeding the vines.” He also reported higher sugar in the fruit. The “miraculous” benefits have inspired producers in New Zealand to try the practice.
January 27, 2023 | Penn State
This Penn State story outlines what’s known and not known about the spotted lanternfly. Researchers are studying the pest’s flight behavior, where it might travel, the conditions it needs to flourish, its feeding preferences, the potential to disrupt the lanternfly female reproductive cycle and use of biological control agents.
January 23, 2023 | Lodi Wine Growers
In this blog post, viticulturist Stan Grant explains the objectives and benefits of tilling and not tilling in tractor rows. Tillage is primarily a root zone resource management activity, adding organic matter to topsoil and creating a layer of loose, low-density soil that acts as a barrier to soil moisture loss to the atmosphere through evaporation. The cumulative effects of non-tillage are mainly environmental, including increasing soil permeability to air, water, and elongating roots, and reduced compaction, erosion and dust. It’s a complex choice, best informed the primary management challenges and goals for the vineyard, Stan says.
January 16, 2023 | Modern Farmer
A recent study from UC Davis shows how farmers may be able to harvest crops and energy together on common ground using photovoltaic panels. Researchers concluded that bands within the visible light spectrum can be filtered and harnessed separately—blue lightwaves to generate solar power and red lightwaves to grow fruits and vegetables—to make maximum use of farmland, while lowering heat stress and reducing water use.
January 2023 | WSU Extension
The first step in improving quality of the soil in vineyards is measuring the biological, chemical and physical indicators of soil health. This WSU Extension publication shows how, with repeated measurements, vineyard managers can track changes over time and use them to start building and sustaining better soil health in the vineyard.
December 26, 2022 | Sustainability
A team of grape breeders and consumer behavior scientists in Italy sought to understand the dilemma that newly developed disease-resistant grapevines (or FRGs as they call them—fungus-resistant grapes) have as they come to market: growers are supportive but consumers are slow to embrace wines made from varieties they don’t recognize. Based on a survey of young wine drinkers in northeast Italy, they write, “our results clearly indicate that consumer attitude towards this type of beverage pays great attention to the reduction in agrochemicals.” In other words, “the environmental potential of the new vines” needs to be clearly communicated.
November 2, 2022 | California Ag Network
In this video interview with American Vineyard Magazine, Emeritus UCCE Weed Science Advisor – North Coast John Roncoroni discusses the ways grape growers can minimize herbicide drift and residue on their vines and fruit. Drift-reducing techniques and equipment like nozzles, shielded sprayers and dormant-season timing can help, as can non-herbicidal options like electric weeders and sheep. “Even if the chemical we’re using isn’t toxic at all, there’s no reason for an herbicide to be on the crop” at or past harvest,” he says.
October 26, 2022 | American Vineyard Magazine
In 2021, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and Texas A&M University cooperatively released a new table grape called Southern Sensation Seedless. To date, it represents one of very few table grape varieties tolerant to Pierce’s Disease, with no symptoms observed for more than 20 years when other tables grapes under trial (Flame seedless and others) died from apparent PD. However, it is susceptible cold, so recommended only for USDA cold hardiness zone 7b or warmer.
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Find these stories and more, published every weekday, on our Facebook and Twitter feeds. Use #graperesearch to join and grow the conversation!
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March 1-2, 2023
State College, PA
March 1-2, 2023
Virtual event
March 7, 2023
Salinas, CA
March 14, 2023
Central Point, OR
March 14-16, 2023
Lancaster, PA
March 15, 2023
Davis, CA
March 28-30, 2023
Syracuse, NY
April 4, 2023
Corvallis, OR
May 8-10, 2023
Washington, DC
May 9-10, 2023
Washington, DC
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The monthly NGRA Update is provided as a service to the U.S. grape and wine industry.
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