UPCOMING EVENTS:
LERGP Pesticide Calibration Service
May 30, 2025
June 2, 2025
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.
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.
