UPCOMING EVENTS:
LERGP Pesticide Calibration Service
June 30, 2025
Pesticide Calibration service to growers on a first-come, first-served basis.
Megan Luke will be conducting Sprayer Calibration services. This service is free for NY growers who are LERGP members and for any PA growers. This is due to the funding source that is allowing us the opportunity to provide this service.
This service will run from April 1 through June 30.
Register with the link below; Megan will contact you to set up a time to meet for calibration. Please be sure to provide full and accurate contact information.
Spotted Lanternfly Monitoring and Trapping Workshops
The Erie County, Pennsylvania, Conservation District, in collaboration with Penn State Extension and the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program, will host two workshops for Extension Educators, Master Gardener Volunteers, Master Watershed Steward Volunteers, Park Service, Municipalities, vineyard stakeholders, local landscape professionals, and other public entities. The goal of these workshops is to provide resources and materials for monitoring spotted lanternfly in Erie and Crawford Counties, and to provide participants with the tools and information needed to expand monitoring efforts critical to preventing the establishment of spotted lanternfly in these areas.
Date and Time: Tuesday, July 8, 2025, from 2 PM- 4 PM
Location: Erie County Conservation District (1927 Wager Rd, Erie, PA 16509)
Date and Time: Wednesday, July 9, 2025, from 9 AM-11 AM
Location: Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County (798 Bessemer St, Meadville, PA 16335)
Speakers: Brian Walsh, Penn State Extension Educator (Green Industry); Megan Luke, Penn State Extension Educator (Viticulture); Zach Hetrick, PDA; Conservation District Staff
Background: Spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect with established populations in much of Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio. While not dangerous to humans or pets, this pest can cause severe economic damage to grapevines and is a messy nuisance in the landscape, impacting businesses such as golf courses, restaurants, and parks. Expanding the public awareness of spotted lanternfly and the methods for reporting and managing its presence is crucial at this time to prevent serious economic losses for local farmers and businesses.
Impact: Attendees will be provided with materials for monitoring traps and instructions for setting up the trap in a location likely to be infested by spotted lanternfly, based on location and plant species present. Researchers and Extension will present current science and best practices for monitoring, and will be available to answer questions regarding reporting practices and insect lifecycle.
To RSVP: Call ECCD offices at 814-825-6403. The Crawford County workshop will have a maximum capacity of 30 people.
If you have any questions, please contact Ryan Nageotte (rnageotte@erieconservation.com) or the ECCD office (814-825-6403).
Canopy Management Program
Due to the predicted large crops this season, we have put together a fruit thinning demonstration to help bring vines into balance and help with Brix accumulation. Please note that it is very important to record your bloom dates in your individual blocks for crop estimation.
What: Lake Erie Regional Grape Program Coffee Pot Demo Day
Grapevine Canopy Management Demo
Where: Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory
6592 W Main Rd, Portland, NY 14769
When: July 16, 2025, at 10 AM – 1 PM
Who: Dr. Terry Bates, Director of the Lake Erie Research and
Extension Laboratory, Cornell University
The objective of Terry’s research program is to help the New York grape juice industry reach their goal of producing maximum sustainable yield of high-quality fruit through viticulture research and education. We work closely with producers and processors to identify research questions that are applicable to the industry. His team supports the grape industries of western New York and Pennsylvania through Precision Viticulture, Vineyard Mechanization, and Optimized Nutrient Management. Our region is very fortunate to have Dr. Bates conducting research to benefit our growers and improve their operations, but his contribution to our industry does not have borders. Terry’s work is being adopted globally with positive impacts.
The term “alternate bearing” or “biennial bearing”, refers to the phenomenon where a grapevine (or other fruit-bearing plants) produces a heavy crop in one year, followed by a reduced crop the following year. This cycle can be influenced by various factors, including environmental conditions and the plant’s energy reserves. Due to the large frost event in the 2024 growing season and subsequent low yields for most of our eastern grape growing region, it can be anticipated that the rested vines may have a heavy crop this growing season. Canopy management is necessary for crop balance and the grower must apply viticultural practices to guide the vine and fruit into balance, with the result being perfectly mature fruit. Canopy/fruit management goals make us more consistently successful in our pursuit of efficient production of economically viable yields of grapes over the long term. Dr. Terry Bates will discuss research in both canopy and fruit management to help make informed decisions for this coming growing season, followed by a field demonstration of crop estimation and fruit management.
Erie Horticultural Society Chicken BBQ Meeting Agenda- 2025
Location: Gravel Pit Park, 10300 W Main Rd, North East, PA 16428
Date: Wednesday, July 30th, 2025
Time: 4:00 PM- 7:00 PM
A three-hour chicken BBQ and meeting with two core credits and one category credit in the afternoon, providing growers with updated information and research in juice and wine grape production, as well as best practices for pesticide application. Registration is free, and dinner will be provided.
4:00 PM Start: Equipment show and vendor tables
4:30 PM (30 minutes) 1 core recertification credit
Title: “Worker Protection Standard- What does compliance look like?”
Speaker: Joni Davis
Description: Inform-Protect-Mitigate. The whole reason for the regulation is to make sure those who work for you know what they are being exposed to, how to protect themselves from that exposure, and what to do if they are exposed to pesticides while working on the farm. During this talk, you will learn what it takes to gain compliance and how to maintain it year after year.
5:00 PM (30 minutes) 1 category recertification credits
Title: “Update on vineyard weather stations and insect pest research”
Speaker: Kim Knappenberger and Flor Acevedo
Description: Discussion of the benefits of hosting weather stations within the vineyard, including degree day models and infection period estimation, and updates on management strategies for grape berry moth and spotted lanternfly.
5:30 PM (30 minutes) 1 core recertification credit
Title: “Pesticide best practices and legal changes to labels for the coming growing season”
Speaker: Megan Luke
Description: Brief update regarding label changes to pesticides commonly used in grapes (ziram, captan, mancozeb), and overview of upcoming changes, including use of the EPA’s Mitigation Menu and the Bulletins Live! 2 website.
6:00 PM (Dinner)
7:00 PM End
