Statewide Viticulture Extension Program

The article posted below describes results of a survey of 95 vineyards in the Finger Lakes for presence of grapevine leafroll virus, and an additional survey tracking the impact of leafroll on fruit maturity:

grapevine-leafroll-virus-an-increasing-problem.pdf

Geneva, NY.   A group of 35 extension educators, Cornell scientists and graduate students, and industry people from throughout the Northeast, Midwest and Ontario converged at Cornell’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station August 11 and 12 for a workshop highlighting grape genetics and breeding research at Geneva. Continue Reading »

Here are some Photos from ‘A day with Grape Germplasm Resources’ workshop held at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY on August 12.

Peter Cousins, USDA ARS scientist with Grape Germplasm Research Unit in the Grapevine Germplasm Collection at the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva

Dr. Bruce Reisch, grape breeder with Dept. Horticultural Sciences at the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station, demonstrates differences in grapevine resistance to downy mildew at his ‘no-spray’ grapevine nursery, where new crosses are evaluated.

Attendees at the August 12 A Day with Germplasm Resources Workshop held at the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY.

For Full sized photo click on thumbnail below:

Here is the draft PWT petition

vitenoldraft-program-work-team-petition.doc

Tim Martinson, Hans Walter-Peterson and Alice Wise

From a humble beginning as ‘coffee shop’ discussion group by a handful of vineyard managers in 1996, Oregon’s LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) sustainability certification program has grown to encompass 8,000 acres of grapes and 97 vineyards - 44% of Oregon’s total grape acreage.

Link:

macdonald-talks-aboutoregon-live-sustainable-viticulture.pdf

Continue Reading »

Meeting announcement for Beginner’s workshop on June 4 in Willsboro and June 5 in Watertown, NY

vines-in-north-country-announcement.pdf

Dr. Loeb, entomologist at Cornell University, provides an annual update of insect pest management. Included are changes in pesticide registrations, insect biology, and management options.

loeb-insect-management-2008.pdf

Wayne Wilcox, Professor of Plant Pathology at the NY State Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell University, writes an annual comprehensive review of disease management programs for vineyards. At 21 pages, this pdf document is lengthy, but packed with excellent information on:

• Changes in fungicide registration, and relative efficacy/cost of different materials
• Biology and control of major grape pathogens
• ‘Putting it all together’ - an overview of fungicide choices based on vine development

Wayne incorporates the latest research results into this document every year. For example, this year’s version includes results of a study on UV light and powdery mildew development - which provides insight on weather-related differences in powdery mildew severity.

Here it is in PDF format:

wilcox-2008-grape-disease-management.pdf

Thanks to Hans Walter-Peterson, Finger Lakes Grape Program (http://flg.cce.cornell.edu) for formatting this document and adding photos.

The eight issues of Veraison to Harvest published in 2007 are now archived at

http://blogs.cce.cornell.edu/grapes/07-veraison-to-harvest-archive/

In late August, Dr. Justine Vanden Heuvel and I traveled to Long Island for a look at the Long Island wine industry.

Here are my impressions of the region:

long-island-viticulture.pdf

long-island-portfolio.pdf