Grape Program In Ontario, County Office Building . rne Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, 110 Court Street PCJU\ Yan, KY 14527- 1130 ' 1 CoopeJ?.tive11 and Yates Counties -Co 315-536·5134 Extension FAX 3 1~ ·li36·5 117

FINGER LAKES VINEYARD NOTES NEWSLETTER '95 #1 Februao·J 13, 1995

Wriuen by David V. Peterson, Area Extension Gmpe Specialist, Finger Lakes Grape Progmm (315) 536-5134, and Tim Weigle, Area Extension Grape Pest Management Specialist for the Finger Lakes and Lake Erie Gmpe Programs (716) 672-6830. Edited by David V. Peterson.

IN THIS ISSUE

Trunk Injury: Beware When Pruning 1994 Crop Disaster Program Catastrophic Crop Insurance Price Projections for 1995 Finger Lakes Grape Growers' Convention More Meetings! Agricultural Labor Relations Seminar Energy Survey & Radon Testing - Free!

TRUNK INJURY: BEWARE WHEN varieties should have had some sucker shoots PRUNING left on every vine to replace all existing trunks within the next year or two. Generally, the David Peterson most seriously injured trunks were those that were only a year or two old when the damage Although mild winter temperatures have occurred. This indicates that most sucker prevailed throughout this winter, examination shoots that were left as renewals in the 1992-93 of trunks of many varieties reveals the effects growing seasons are likely to be more injured of the past 2 more severe winters. Trunk than the older trunks, and therefore, should not injury is widespread on most sites on many be expected to have much longevity. In less varieties. Severe injury is not limited to V. injured varieties, such as Concord and vinifera varieties, as I have seen significant Catawba, severe damage is generally restricted injury on most hybrids (including Seyval, to selected areas within the vineyard (wet Cayuga White, Aurore, Vidal blanc and spots, for example). Renewal programs Dechaunac, to name a few), as well as seveml probably need not be different from normal in Native American varieties (especially Niagara). these varieties, except for the problem areas Beyond the most obvious symptoms (split that may exist within a block. trunks), severely injured trunks frequently appear less vigorous, and cutting through the Most Finger Lakes sites have reported lows in trunk reveals the duller browner more the 0 to -50F range, although there have been a desiccated areas around the outside of the trunk few of the typically warmer or colder sites that that should normally appear brighter and have been several degrees outside of this range. greener. As I recommended throughout last The official low temperature at Geneva was season, all V. vinifera and most hybrid -30F, recorded on January 28. Controlled

tlelp·ing You Put Knowl<:d.ge to ll'ork ( :o;n u·lll'coo )fM'mli\'1' l·~xt •·ll:-k•t l l •finPinot Noir (Geneva clone) -14 Lemberger -14 A catastrophic level of crop insurance known Chardonnay -14 as CAT will be available on 1995 crops Cabemet Sauvignon -11 normally insured by FCIC. This insurance Merlot -10 will be available for a $50 filing fee. Traditional disaster assistance programs such Bud samples were taken from vines growing at as were available in 1993 and 1994 will not be the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station at administered as they have been, and CAT Geneva. Actual hardiness in other vineyards insurance will be required to qualify for depends on a number of factors, including assistance. Contact the Farm Service Agency previous season's crop load, severity of (formerly ASCS) in your county to get more diseases (especially powdery mildew) and information. other pests, time of harvest, time of first killing frost, to name a few. This data should not be PRICE PROJECTIONS FOR 1995 expected to reflect bud hardiness in other regions, since acclimation (and deacclimation) Barry Shaffer patterns can be quite different from region to Farm Business Management Specialist region. Bud hardiness also is not directly Lake Erie Regional Grape Program correlated with cane and trunk hardiness, and some varieties and or sites may have lower Some growers feel that comments in our cane hardiness than bud hardiness. Regardless newsletter about crop size, fruitfulness, etc. of differing conditions, however, most Frnger change processors' minds about prices. We'd Lakes sites have not had temperatures that like to take credit for the importance of should result in any significant injury to information in our newsletter, but we don't reasonably healthy vines. I have done a limited impact juice empe prices! Field reps spend amount of checking buds in commercial much of their summers estimating crop size and vineyards, and thus far, have seen little bud quality. Growers send in their own crop mortality on even the most cold-tender estimates. Estimates are made in every major varieties. In spite of this, growers with the grape producing state and compiled by more tender varieties; vineyards that had USDA's Economic Research Service. These significant disease problems, or excessive crop estimates aren't perfect, but some can be right loads, are advised to check for bud injury prior on the mark. to pruning. Not only the size of the current crop affects 1994 CROP DISASTER PROGRAM prices. Supplies and costs of substitutes such as California grape juice concentrate (GJC), If you had at least a 35% loss in yield (with pear juice, apple juice, and orange juice limit crop insurance) in 1994 due to winter injury, Concord juice prices. One other major hail or other weather-related problems, or a determinant is inventories of Concord juice. 40% loss (if you were not insured), you may Big inventories of juice, whether here or in be eligible for disaster assistance. Enrollment Washington State, helps to depress prices. began on December I and will continue Here is a graph showing NY juice grape prices through March 15, 1995. Contact the Farm and months of carryover before harvest Three Service Agency (formerly known as ASCS) in months carryover is considered optimal.

2 Carryover impacts price!

300 6 250 5 .------, 200 4 - Ave. Price 150 3 --ll•l--- Months 100 2 Carryover

50 1

0 0 (')'

Lower carryover years are also the high price included in this newsletter, and there is a years and vice versa! Growers need to see that discount for pre-registering. Please contact inventories are high and will probably be as David Peterson at (315) 536-5134 if you need high in 1995 as this year. If we have another further information about the meeting. large national crop next year and high carryover, we will probably see a drop in cash 8:00 'I'Iadeshow - Dining Hall :U1d outdoors, coffee prices of 10% or more. If we have a small crop and baked goods nationally, carryover should decrease and help fum up prices. Be conservative on prices for 8:20 Registration opens, Keuka College Chapel your 1995 cash flow budget. Many growers should conserve cash from the 1994 crop to 9:00 Welcome - David Peterson help tide them over for 1995. 9:05 Cover Crops: A New Look at Row Middle Management Options foe New York Vineyards 46TH ANNUAL FINGER LAKES - Bob Pool, Alan Lalc.so GRAPE GROWERS' CONVENTION 9:45 Grower Experience With Mechanized Pruning Saturday March 4 is .the date for the largest and Crop Control - Dennis Rak meeting of the year for Finger Lakes grape growers. As in past years, the meeting will be 10:05 A New Look at Promising Hybrid Grape held at Keuka College in Keuka Park, NY. Varieties and New Selections- Bruce Reisch Market conditions and alternatives will be the subject of a number of presentations at this 10:30 Break - Dining Hall, visit exhibits year's meeting, which are issues of immediate II :OS Update From CanandwgWl Wine Company and concern to many area grape growers. lhe lmpactofRecentChanges on New York Growers will also receive 3 credits Grape Growers- Jim Finkle t owa rds pesticid e applicator certification for attending the meeting. II :35 Strategies For Improving Nitrogen Last year's convention drew nearly 250 people, Fertilization Programs - D:lvid Peterson the largest attendance in nearly a decade. The trade show also promises to be excellent, with 12:00 Powdery Mildew: Wlult Went Wrong in 1994 over 20 exhibitors already signed up at the time and Strategie.~ to Improve Control in t995 - of this writing. Registration information is Wayne Wilcox 12:25 Lunch, Dining Hall March 7. AGRICULTURAL LABOR RELATIONS SEMINAR. Quality Inn, 1:40 Question Box ·Nelson Shaulis Newark, NY. Program and registration information in this mailing. 2:15 Grape Growers' Weathec Network and Di8case Management - TI.m Weigle March 16-18. VINEYARD AND WINERY 2:35 Development ol a Post Emergence Vineyard MANAGEMENT SEMINARS & TRADE Weed Management Prognun • Rick Dunst SHOW. Hershey Lodge, Hershey, PA. Contact: Bob Mignarri, Quality Event 3:00 Growing Juice Gropes in New Ycrt: A Look Management, 3960 Post Road, Warwick, RI. at Production C011ts, Yields and Profitability (401) 885-8788 Fax: (401) 885-2758. 1991 • 1993 in the Lake Erie Resjon. Baay Features the largest trade show in the East, Shaffer with over 80 exhibitors. Viticultural topics include trellising, disease and weather 3:30 Outlook Prom Alternative Buyers for Gmpe monitoring, using garlic to control pests, Purclulses, Prices and Markets in 1995 and clones, propagation, rootstocks, mechanical B~yood • Riclc Walker (Walker's Fruit Basket), RIChard Peterson (Swedish Hill Winery), harvesting, and the use of planting tubes. Andrew Nass (Venture Vineyards), George Winemaking topics inc I ude: several Scalf (Blue Moun rain Natuml Products, Inc.) presentations on wine blending (including sparkling wines), fruit wines, oak barrels, 4:10 Trends in the Global Grape and Wine Market y~ast pumps,_ phenols, and the use of honey in and its Impact on the NY Gntpe Industry . wme production. Management/marketing talks Jerry White include: vineyard profitability, the value of quality, winery profitability, marketing plans 4:30 Hospitality Wine & Cheese Hour featuring for wineries, tourism, joint marketing, and on­ wines .made from Pi not Noir, Gewurztmminer, line wine services. Seyval, Marcchal Foch, Delaware and Conoord · Women for NYS Wine & Finger Lakes Wineries Participating March 21-22. ORGANIC GRAPE AND WINE PRODUCTION: 3rd Nelson I . Shaulis MORE MEETINGS Viticulture Symposium. NYS Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, NY. Contact: February 19-21. OHIO GRAPE-WINE Judy Robinson, Dept. Of Horticulture, NYS SHORT COURSE. Holiday Inn Middleburg Agric. Expt. Station, Geneva, NY 14456. Heights/Cleveland, OH. Contact: Roland (315) 787-2238 Fax: (315) 787-2216. Riesen or Judy Stetson at (216) 263-3814 Fax: Features speakers from Europe, Japan ~216) ~3-3685. (!7ograms and registration California as well as New York. In clude~ inforrnauon also available at the Finger Lakes presentations on Cornell's experiences with 5 Grape Program office.) Features a half day years of organic cultivation of 15 acres of workshop on growing, producing and organic vineyards. Market considerations and marketing red hybrid varieties and numerous a new processor interested in purchasing other topics (including rootstocks, mechanized organically grown grapes are included in the pru_ning, ~st control, winter injury, Italian program. Attendees r eceive 5 credits vanetals, WJne yeast and fermentation), a trade towards pes ticide a pplicator show, numerous tastings, and some excellent recertification for attending. meals that feature wine and food pairings. March 22-23. NYS WINE INDUSTRY March 4. FINGER LAKES GRAPE WORKSHOP. NYS Agricultural Experiment GROWERS' CONVENTION AND TRADE Station, Geneva, NY. Contact: Thomas SHOW. Keuka College, Keuka Park, NY. Henick-Kling, Dept. of Food Science and Program and registration information in this Tech., NYS Agric. Expt. Station, Geneva, NY mailing. 14456. (315) 787-2277 Fax: (315) 787-2397. F~attued themes include "Wine grapes and wme styles of New York State" and "Does spontaneous fermentation (wild yeast) express

4 the regional character of a wine better than selected starter cultures?" Presentations cover both viticulture and enology.

David V. Peterson Area Extension Specialist Finger Lakes Grape Program

"Cornell Cooperative Exteoslon and its employees assume no liability for tbe effectiveness or results of any product. No endorsement or products Is made or implied. Wben using any recommendation, check the product label which Is the final word witb respect to product usage, or check with the ma nufacturer or s upplier for updated information."

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