UPCOMING EVENTS:

 

LERGP Pesticide Calibration Service

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.

 

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