Site and Soil Parameters for Northern Production New England Vegetable and Fruit Conference 2015

Statewide Viticulture Extension Northern : Integrating viticulture, winemaking, and marketing of new cold hardy cultivars supporting new and growing rural wineries • 5 Year Coordinated Ag Project • 12 Institutions, 12 states • 34 Research/Extension Scientists • 23 Industry Associations • $2.5M Funded (2 yr) USDA; $3M Renewal (2 yr) • Matched > 25 Organizations and Individuals The Northern Grapes Project is funded by the USDA’s Specialty Crops Research Initiative Program of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Project #2011-51181-30850 Multi-Disciplinary Studies Address

• performance and resulting fruit and flavor attributes in different climates The Vine • Applying appropriate viticultural practices to achieve consistent fruit characteristics for ripening The Vineyard • Applying winemaking practices to their unique fruit composition to produce distinctive that consumers will like and purchase The Wines • Understanding consumer preferences, individual/regional marketing strategies to increase sales and sustained profitability of wineries and vineyards. The Tasting Room University of Minnesota Cultivars

Katie Cook, Jim Luby & Peter Hemstad Cultivar La Crescent Frontenac gris Original cross 1979 1988 1989 - Year released 1996 2002 2006 2003 Mid-winter cold tolerance -33° F -36° F -34° F -33° F V. riparia Pedigree Single cane 89 x St. Pepin x E. MN 1094 x (V. riparia, V. vinifera, bud mutation Landot S. 6-8-25 Ravat 262 V. labrusca) of Frontenac 4511 Ave. Soluble Solids (°Brix) 26.0° 25.5° 26.1° 26.0° Ave. Titratable Acidity (g/L) 15.4 13.0 12.1 14.0 ‘Elmer Swenson’ Cultivars

Elmer Swenson

Cultivar Brianna Eidelweiss St Croix St Pepin Original cross 1983 1955 ? ? Year released 2001 1978 1981 1986 Mid-winter cold tolerance ? -29° F -31° F -26° F (MN #78 x Pedigree ‘’ St. Pepin x E. E.S. 283 x Seibel 1000) x (V. labrusca, V. riparia, x E.S. 2- S. 6-8-25 E.S. 193 ‘’ V. vinifera) 12-13 *Pistillate vine Ave. Soluble Solids (°Brix) 18-20 14-16 16-20 20 Ave. Titratable Acidity (g/L) 7.3-9.0 10.0-12.0 9.0-11.0 10.0-12.0 New York Grape Production

Lake Erie / 13,000 HA

Hudson Finger Lakes Valley 4,000 HA 250 HA

Long Island 1,000 HA Novice Growers and Winemakers Project clientele

Vineyards 5,900 acres (2,460 Ha) 40% Non-bearing (2011) 80% planted since 2002. 70% < 2 HA

Wineries 300 1000-3000 cases 80% established since 2002.

Tuck, B. and Gartner, W. 2013. Vineyards and grapes of the north: a status report. Univ. Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality. http://www.extension.umn.edu/community/economic-impact-analysis/reports/docs/2013-Vineyards-Grapes-North.pdf Tuck, B. and Gartner, W. 2013. Wineries of the north: a status report. Univ. Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality. http://www.extension.umn.edu/community/economic-impact-analysis/reports/docs/2013-winery-north.pdf Main points

• Site selection is an economic decision

• Five key points about site selection – Climate trumps soil – Air drainage is EXTREMELY important – Many Northern Grape cultivars prone to early budburst (V. riparia heritage) – Well drained soils are important – Soil attributes can be improved before planting Economics: Grapes and Wine

• How much land does it take to grow wine? – 3000 case winery = 7200 gallons of wine – 60 cases per ton = 50 Tons of grapes – At 3.5 T/acre =14 acres of grapes If you grow grapes + make/sell wine • How much land does it take to make money growing grapes? – Machinery + Land + development costs – Probably >> 14 acres Vineyard Development Costs

• How much $$ to develop a vineyard – $18,792 per acre to Yr 4 (2010) – $9,897 per acre in machinery & equipment (assuming costs spread over 50 acres) – $28,609 K total investment per acre. • 50 acres = $ 1,430,450 Investment

Machinery/equipment $151,825 Buildings $69,000 Total $220,850

Investment per acre – 20 acre vineyard Land $5,400 Machinery/Equipment $7,591 Buildings $3,450 Vineyard development $18,792 20 acre = $704,660 investment Total per acre $35,233 Economic Impact of Site Selection Over 25 year lifespan of vineyard: Each 0.1 T/acre in additional = $900 Net Present Value ($1200/T)

You can afford to spend more on an excellent site A poor site costs you money

Source: G. White, Dept Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University Site selection and pre-plant site preparation

• Climate- Large scale, regional Not • Climate- micro scale Changeable Can be • Soils and site preparation Modified Major Theme: Pay now or pay later! Good sites and preparation pay off Poor site selection and preparation cost money Climate Macro & Meso

• Winter Low Temperatures • Spring/Fall Frosts (Length of Growing Season) • Heat (Growing Degree-days) • Topography (Air drainage, light and heat interception) Climate and Temperature Profile Sets Limits

100 A M J J A S O N D J F M A 90 80 70 60 50 40 Heat Units above 50 F 30 20 10 Frost-free Days 0 MaxTemp -10 Winter Lows Mintemp -20 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360 390 420 450 480 Winter Low Temperatures If low temperature Injury Suitable Varieties is higher hazard is than 0ºF very low almost any -5ºF low most northern vinifera hardy vinifera/moderately -10ºF moderate hardy hybrids hardy hybrids/most -15ºF high American <-15ºF very high hardy American varieties <-20º very high Cold Climate varieties

Source:Site Selection by Bob Pool www.cornellfruit.com

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Jul-03 Jul-04 Jul-05 Jul-06 Jul-07 (Thousand Islands) Jan-03Mar-03May-03 Sep-03Nov-03Jan-04Mar-04May-04 Sep-04Nov-04Jan-05Mar-05May-05 Sep-05Nov-05Jan-06Mar-06May-06 Sep-06Nov-06Jan-07Mar-07May-07 Sep-07Nov-07Jan-08Mar-08 -10

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Jul-03 Jul-04 Jul-05 Jul-06 Jul-07 Jan-03Mar-03May-03 Sep-03Nov-03Jan-04Mar-04May-04 Sep-04Nov-04Jan-05Mar-05May-05 Sep-05Nov-05Jan-06Mar-06May-06 Sep-06Nov-06Jan-07Mar-07May-07 Sep-07Nov-07Jan-08Mar-08 -10

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-30 Macroclimate Online Vineyard Site Evaluation Tool Alan Lakso (Cornell) & IAGT

www.nyvineyardsite.org Growing Degree Days Seasonal summation of Average Temperatures above 50 F Minimum > 2000 GDD; Best >2400

• Willsboro

Herkimer Length of Growing Season (Frost-Free Days) Minimum 170 or more; Better >180

• Willsboro

Herkimer Probability of <-15 F If Temps <-15 F in > 1 winter in 3, limited to Cold-Hardy vines

>35% of years with 1 Winter low Below –15F Herkimer Composite Map

>35% of years with 1 Winter low Below –15F Herkimer <160 Frost-Free Days

<1900 Growing-Degree Days >2400 Growing-Degree Days Minnesota Varieties?

Minnesota Hybrids and Herkimer Labrusca

Labrusca, Hybrids, Vinifera (within limits) Mesoclimate Lake Effect in the Finger Lakes – January 14, 2008 Mesoclimate: Air Drainage

Poor Air Drainage Topography and Air Movement

Slide courtesy J. Fiola, University of Maryland ‘Aurore’ Frost Injury in a “Cold Pocket” on 16 Oct 1989

M. Goffinet Air Drainage Air Drainage Spring Frost – May 22, 2015

May 14 May 22: 26 ° F

May 25 Hillside Vineyard - 2015 Aspect = Slope direction

•Avoid Northerly Slopes •SE to SW-Facing Slopes gain more heat Soil Suitability

SOIL DEPTH SOIL TEXTURE/ Water holding capacity

Internal Drainage SOIL pH Soils Affect Vine Capacity and Vigor • Soil depth, texture • Water Holding Capacity • Organic matter/Fertility

Vigor = Rate of shoot growth Vine Capacity = Sustainable cropping level

Diagram courtesy Terry Bates, Viticulture Research Associate 37 Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory, Portland, NY Shoot Vigor Water Stress Irrigation

Drainage Less water availability

Auger – Heavy clay Crown Gall Poor Drainage Vinifera 6.5 Hybrids 6.0 Labrusca 5.5 Soil Survey Information

Rte 14

Langford Valois

Howard Langford (Gravelly Silt Loam) •Moderately well-drained •Hard-pan at 18” •Acid surface; neutral subsoil

Silt Loam, strongly acid, high in organic matter 0-3 inches

Silt Loam, strongly acid 0-18 inches

Heavy Silt Loam; Very Little Root penetration 18-50 inches

Compact Glacial Till ph 7.5-8 >50 inches Valois (Gravelly Silt Loam) •Well-Drained •Medium-textured •Acid

Gravelly silt loam good water holding strongly acid (0-20”) Coarse gravelly silt loam Good root penetration Acid to neutral (20-50”)

Gravelly loam, neutral to calcareous below 72” USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/ WebSoilSurvey.aspx

Have a broadband connection!!! Google Earth http://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/soilweb-apps/ On-site Investigations

• Soil Pits – Rooting depth – Soil texture throughout profile – Potential problem areas • Augered Holes – Spring - test drainage – Indicate need for tiling

Site Enhancement • Climate – Winter Low Temperatures No – Spring/Fall Frosts (Length of Growing Season) No – Heat (Growing Degree-days) No – Topography (Air Drainage) Maybe • Soils – Rooting Depth Maybe (break up hard pan) – Water Holding Capacity No - but Irrigation possible – Internal Drainage Yes – Soil pH Yes Preplant Soil Testing • Most important for pH – Target Range (MN): 6.0 – 6.5 – Lime Recommendations • Also provides results for: – Cations: K, Mg, Ca, P – % organic matter – Cation Exchange Capacity (related to soil texture, calc. Base saturation) • Sample at: – 0-8” (Surface) – 8-16” (Subsoil) – Multiple subsamples. – Variable soil = sample 2 areas separately Soil Amendments • Lime to adjust pH – Incorporate preplant • Amendments to increase organic matter – Compost – Cover crops, eg ‘Sudex’ (Long Island) • Fertilizers – K, Mg, Ca, P most common – Mg/Ca – from lime. Tile Drainage installation

Laser guided Extra investments for Site Preparation

Cost per Breakeven increase Improvement acre in yield Tile Drainage (every 2nd row) $2,500 0.3 Tons/acre Drip Irrigation $2,000 0.2 Tons/acre Total additional Investment $4,500 0.5 Tons/acre

Soil Amendments Often return > 0.5 T/acre (pH, organic matter) Deer Problems? Site Selection: Pay now or pay later! Good sites and preparation pay off Poor site selection and preparation cost money

http://northerngrapesproject.org/