Vineyard Development

Yu Jiang (Cornell AgriTech) shares NASA Acres Consortium's goal to bridge the gap between space and farms to create sustainable food systems now and in the future.

Adam Tolmach, owner of Ojai Vineyard, planted four new Pierces Disease-Resistant varieties as a field trial on a plot of land where the disease wiped out his grapes in 1995.

Erratic weather like deluge rain, longer falls, and patches of drought disrupt vinifera’s adaptation to long-sustained winters. Jason Londo (Cornell AgriTech) is working to identify the right grape for the right climate.

• Main needs - what is my goal today? (theft, efficiency, remote management, maintenance management) • Future proofing – what will my goal be in 5 years? • Service levels – will my provider build a relationship and understand Ag?

A field study was conducted for three consecutive seasons in the hot climate of central California to assess the performance of ‘Merlot’ grapevine grafted onto ‘Freedom’ during training system conversion to facilitate mechanization.

: In winegrape production, pruning, canopy management, and harvest are essential practices that are increasingly being done by machines. How well these practices are executed can substantially affect fruit yield and quality. Mechanization offers timeliness, uniformity, and cost benefits, but most methods available to date are nonselective and optimal execution requires careful attention to vineyard design, management, and machine settings

Amid extreme weather events, many grape growers ask themselves what they can do to adapt their vineyard for climate change. Chris Chen, Integrated Vineyard Systems Advisor in Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties at the University of California Cooperative Extension is exploring solutions to this question.

Flowering cover crops, hedgerows, and other on-farm habitat plantings are a popular way to enhance vineyard aesthetics, contribute to biodiversity conservation and improve crop production. By providing shelter, pollen, nectar and/or alternate prey, habitat plantings can help conserve beneficial insects, native pollinators and butterflies, as well as birds and other wildlife in and around vineyards. Habitat plantings can also improve soil quality, reduce erosion, act as wind breaks and, by supporting beneficial insect populations, possibly lead to increased biological control of key vineyard pests. In recognition of all these benefits, the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) provides growers with subsidies for on-farm habitat plantings through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and numerous seed providers regularly market various “insectary blends” of cover crops to growers.

As a vineyard advisor across the United States, Fritz Westover, Viticulturist at Westover Vineyard Advising and host of the Virtual Viticulture Academy, has the opportunity to see a lot of different vineyards, varieties, diseases and climates. Fritz discusses a variety of practices that impact the long-term sustainability of a vineyard including leaching salts, why irrigation systems are important in wet climates, and the number one way to manage disease.

The State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) provides financial assistance in the form of grants to implement irrigation systems that reduce greenhouse gases and save water on California agricultural operations. Eligible system components include (among others) soil moisture monitoring, drip systems, switching to low-pressure irrigation systems, pump retrofits, variable frequency drives, and installation of renewable energy to reduce on-farm water use and energy.

One of the latest available for offing cover crops in no-till operations is the cover-crop roller-crimper (RC). The RC has made using cover crop residue to suppress weeds in NT operations more practical for organic farmers. While the act of terminating a cover crop with a roller-crimper, or what we refer to as “Big Crimpin”, has not yet gone viral, it is steadily picking up steam. Though, the RC is sold at a limited number of establishments, its rapidly rising stardom should result in it being more widely accessible in the future. Roller crimpers are reported to have been adapted from equipment used in southern Brazil and Paraguay that lays cover crops down while crimping.

In an era of declining resources, US-based vineyard consultant Kelly Mulville writes of his experience to develop viticulture methods that eliminate the need for mechanical or hand cultivation, mowing, tillage and suckering while simultaneously improving soil health sequestering carbon), increasing biodiversity and reducing irrigation needs.

March 2020 Article from Wine Business Monthly.

Grape vine trunk diseases are prevalent in mature vineyards, shortening the vineyard’s life and productivity. Akif Eskalen, Cooperative Extension Specialist and Plant Pathologist at the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of California Davis, is researching naturally occurring microorganisms to use as biocontrol against these fungal pathogens.

One decade ago, amidst a limited labor supply and growing New Zealand wine industry, Klima co-founders Marcus Wichkam and Nigel George set out to solve their own labor issues with mechanization. By developing a highly efficient vineyard pruning system they have removed the physically demanding portion of the job opening the opportunity to employ fewer, more highly skilled tradesworkers to perform cane selection.

A template for creating your own plan to better manage the natural resources in and around your vineyard.

Dan Rodrigues, Owner of VinaQuest, talks about how the loss of materials impacts farming; disease management for mildew, sour rot, and weeds; the effects of a wet winter; and what trends he sees for the future.

Dr. Stephanie Bolton, Sustainable Winegrowing Director, Lodi Winegrape Commission, talks about sustainable farming in the Lodi winegrowing region.

Jeff Newton President & CEO, Costal Vineyard Care Associates discusses his career and the history and future of the Santa Ynez American Viticultural Area.

Fritz Westover, viticulturist with Westover Vineyard Advising and Virtual Viticulture Academy describes growing conditions and challenges in multiple states in the Southeastern United States.

One of the all-time best guides on vineyard development, specially geared for small producers and beginners.

Dr. Cliff Ohmart, owner/operator of Ohmart Consulting Services, shares insights from his career in sustainability research and education in winegrapes and other crops.

Kris Beal, M.S., Executive Director of Vineyard Team, recounts some of the history of the organization, it’s current activities and what the future holds in store.

Dr. Kari Arnold talks about Grapevine Leaf Roll-associated Virus 3, its vector the vine mealybug, and how growers can manage the spread of viruses both within and between vineyards.

Dr. Kari Arnold talks about Grapevine Leaf Roll-associated Virus 3, its vector the vine mealybug, and how growers can manage the spread of viruses both within and between vineyards.

Dr. Michael McCarthy, Principal Scientist-Viticulture, South Australia Research and Development Institute, PIRSA, describes viticultural research in Australia.

Recommendations for control of stinkwort.

Description of the weed stinkwort (Dittrichia graveolens), its rapid spread through California, and its life cycle.

Two articles on the spread, biology, and control of stinkwort (Dittrichia graveolens).

Ashley Poupart explores why sustain practices are important to the wine and winegrape industries followed by an overview and comparison of the major sustainability certifications available to vineyards.

Dr. Kaan Kurtural, Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist with UC Cooperative Extension describes the benefits of mechanizing viticultural operations. Q&A for this session is here: https://youtu.be/JUF1FaEUudE

Bart Haycraft, Vineyard Manager for Jackson Family Wines Los Alamos, answers questions about the vineyard operations he has mechanized on his ranches including weed control, canopy management and efficient harvesting. The full session is found here: https://youtu.be/ItFu_50H0og

Dr. Kaan Kurtural, Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist with UC Cooperative Extension answers questions about the benefits of mechanizing viticultural operations. The main talk is found here: https://youtu.be/V6gQ-KJ_XFM

Capturing images of grapes under bright light at night is used to estimate final vineyard yield.

A vision system mounted on a vehicle automatically and accurately estimates final vineyard yield.

An automated system was used during three growing seasons to monitor the change in tension in the load-bearing wire of a trellis to estimate yield in vineyards.

A survey of automated image processing methods for estimating final vineyard yield from images.

Improving Yield Estimates: You can improve the accuracy of your estimates when you think about the assumptions behind how and how much to sample. Slides from Dr. Craig Macmillan's talk at the Crop Estimation Tailgate-3/15/18

Peter Work - Owner, Winemaker, and Vineyard Manager of Ampelos Cellars - recounts how becoming a certified organic vineyard led to becoming Demeter® biodynamic certified and eventually Sip Certified®.

Chandra Krintz, Ph.D., Professor of Computer Science, University of California Santa Barbara explains how scientists and engineers are working on a computer system that will help farmers make better decisions using data analytics.

Sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

If you plan to replant vines due to the Red Blotch virus or Pierce's Disease, you may be eligible for financial assistance from the Farm Service Agency Tree Assistance Program.

Grant Cremers describes his vineyard management strategy through a combination of under-vine cultivation and herbicides at San Bernabe Vineyards.