2025 Virtual Spray Program – What’s Your Plan?

December 3, 2024, the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program held our annual Virtual Spray Program for growers across PA and NY. The event was well attended with 52 people tuned in to learn about the latest research to help make their spray program purchasing decisions for the 2025 growing season and earn pesticide recertification credits.

The program began with Bryan Hed, Research Technologist (Plant Pathology), Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center. The presentation discussed disease research results and how the chemical classes of older materials compare to the newer materials. Bryan also talked about strategies regarding important sprays for disease management throughout the growing season or what to use under each phenological stage.

The second presentation was by Dave Combs, research support specialist in Dr. Katie Gold’s Grape Pathology Laboratory at Cornell AgriTech, Cornell University. Dave presented his work on chemicals and biopesticides and what they are, what can they do, what can’t they do, etc. He discussed research of different biopesticides and how they can be incorporated into an Integrated Pest Management Program may aid in resistance management and sustainability of chemicals available.

The final presentation of the meeting was given by Megan Luke, Lake Erie Regional Grape Program PSU Viticulture Educator. Megan presented on the EPA’s Endangered Species Act regulation changes for pesticide management and discussed her sprayer calibration work and the importance of regular calibrations.

This meeting was intended to be interactive so that growers had the ability to ask questions concerning specific pest problems or potential problems in the 2025 season. Topics that were addressed included the timing of spray applications at critical growth stages; pesticide options, efficacy; and resistance management. After the two and one-half hours of instruction, the attendees had 30 minutes for questions and answers, in total three hours for the course. The audience was engaged and had great questions for the presenters.

The survey at the end of the program asked questions to measure impacts, and one of the questions was: After today’s program, will you be making changes to your spray program for 2025? There were three multiple-choice options: Yes, No, and Maybe, I need more information. We had ~70% of the attendees complete the survey and no one chose “No” as an answer, indicating that they found the information provided helpful to their spray program and they would be making changes. Another survey question was: After seeing Dave Combs’ presentation on biopesticide research, will you be adding any biopesticides into your spray program? And only three attendees decided that they would not be adding them. The rest of the respondents will be or, and 59% chose: Maybe, I am intrigued by how well they have performed over the past five years in the study. Regarding Megan’s information on the EPA ESA’s regulation changes, we asked: Do you feel confident of where to go to get Bulletins Live! Two information? We were pleased that 86% of the respondents learned where to find it and were confident that they would be prepared. I was watching the results in real-time, and we were able to go back over where to find that information to ensure that respondents walked away prepared for the changes. The overall comments about this program were very positive and thankful for the information. We have received requests from those who heard about the program less than 12 hours after it occurred to be able to access the information without credits. The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program has reopened the registration for those who wish to purchase the three-hour recording of the program, the PDFs of the presenter’s slides with all of their information, and the form to help with EPA ESA’s regulation changes for the nominal fee of $20. We are very proud of this event and how well it was received, and extremely grateful for the presenters’ knowledge and willingness to share it with our grower stakeholders.

Cornell University’s Land-Grant mission—which encompasses research, education, and extension programs—allows for the creation and dissemination of knowledge that improves lives for not only citizens of New York and in our case PA, but also the nation and people around the globe. Our history is rich with community partnerships to explore ideas and solve complex problems, taking our discoveries and insights to our stakeholders and using what we learn in the field back to our labs and classrooms on campus. Cornell CALS is home to several world-class outreach and extension programs that directly serve the public, sharing knowledge and best practices throughout New York and Pennsylvania. Read more about Cornell University’s Land-Grant commitment.

Road Safety During Grape Harvest

Grape Harvester with SMV (Slow Moving Vehicle) sign on back (Courtesy photo)

During the next 2 months there will be an uptick in farm activity as grape growers harvest their crop

September is Farm Safety Awareness Month as well as the beginning of grape harvest in the area. The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program wants to remind you to be extra cautious during this time so that everyone can make it to their destination safely.

Grape harvest season is upon us, and it is critical that everyone is aware of and takes caution to tractors, semi-trucks, and harvesters on the roads.

During the next 2 months there will be an uptick in farm activity as grape growers harvest their crops and deliver them to market. Residents should expect delays, slow moving tractors, and more activity on local roads. All drivers on the road need to be alert and pay attention!

All farm machinery that travel less than 40 miles per hour must have a Slow-Moving Vehicle Emblem displayed on the back. This can be identified as a bright orange triangle. These vehicles are not required to move over or ride on the side of the road.

What are motorists’ responsibilities when they encounter a slow-moving vehicle?

  • Slow down immediately when you see a vehicle or equipment with a SMV emblem in the road

  • Increase following distance to create a safety cushion

  • Be alert and watch for turns into fields

  • Drive courteously

  • Pass with care only when it is safe and legal to do so

  • Remember SMV operators may have poor visibility due to loads and equipment in tow

  • Be aware that equipment in tow may sway on the road

For more up to date information on slow-moving vehicles and proper responses when encountering them you can visit the following websites: 

https://trafficsafety.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2019/07/SharingTheRoadWithSlowMovingVehiclesBrochure_June2019.pdf  or  https://trafficsafety.ny.gov/resources?f%5B0%5D=filter_term%3A181

Let’s be safe on the roads this harvest season, slow down, roll down the windows to smell the sweet scent of ripe grapes, and make it safely to our destination.

NASA Acres Leadership Tour

Array of field equipment at CLEREL

On August 21, 2024 the LERGP and CLEREL staff were involved with a tour to collaborate and learn from NASA. NASA leadership joined us in Geneva and then at the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory for the ‘Space for Ag Tour’ to have conversations with growers, stakeholders, and researchers about their needs and challenges.

The goal of this visit was to have two-way dialogue with end users, stakeholders, and researchers to improve NASA Earth Science’s research portfolio in specialty crop agriculture and viticulture while fostering a broader conversation about effective research translation into practice.

We continue to foster this relationship and work towards collaborating to improve data for our grower stakeholders. This visit and listening tour was supported by Cornell AgriTech and the Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture.

Grape harvester and Nasa Acres Leadership

Dr. Terry Bates showing the cab of a grape harvester to NASA Acres Leadership

Betts Farm Case Study – Cover Cropping in Concord Grape Vineyards

August 2, 2024 | By Jennifer Phillips Russo, Bob Betts, and Joseph Amsili

Betts Farms, owned by Bob, Dawn, and Thom Betts, has been on the forefront of vineyard middle-row soil management for the past decade, continuously improving soil health on their 185 acres of Concord vines. In contrast to standard Concord viticulture practice, where middle-row grass and weeds are burned in late spring to ensure optimum vine fertility, growers like the Betts are establishing cover crops to alleviate soil compaction, reduce erosion, build soil organic matter, and foster life in the soil. Bob Betts initially planted cover crops to correct the negative effects of soil compaction on water infiltration, root proliferation, and vine productivity, but he soon saw additional benefits in soil structure and the biological health. After 11 years experimenting on a 5-acre vineyard block, Betts saw results that convinced him to incorporate cover crops on all 185 acres.

It started as an experiment… 

In 2011, Betts planted several middle-row alleys with winter tillage radish in an effort to alleviate soil compaction. Radishes are brassicas that form a thick taproot, like a carrot, and are known to break up soil and scavenge excess nitrate. When the radish dies, the large taproot decays to create soil pores that encourage water infiltration and gas exchange. Betts strategically planted in rows with new tile drainage to see if soil pores would channel water to the tile lines below.  The water infiltration improvement was evident, along with an unexpected benefit in the form of high biomass production, or the amount of living material generated from planting the cover crop (Figure 1). The Betts noticed more earthworm activity, soil stability, and a decrease in weed pest pressure in the middle rows where they planted the winter tillage radish. 

Figure 1: Bob Betts proudly shows a well aggregated clod from a cover cropped area (left) and a compacted clod from a non-cover cropped area (right).

The success prompted Betts to expand his cover crop repertoire in 2012 by seeding alternating bands of annual ryegrass and radish seven inches apart, for a total of nine bands per middle-row. The ryegrass was intended to complement the large holes left by decayed radishes. which allowed for the water infiltration that they were hoping for, but also created unstable ground for tractor access. Adding the ryegrass species, that has an extensive, soil-holding root system, helps to stabilize the ground during wet periods to allow for easier tractor access. The experiment wasn’t entirely successful, as the radishes crowded out the ryegrass, a common occurrence if radish seeding rate is too high (one extra pound of radish seed per acre can make a huge difference) or there is high residual nitrogen in the soil. 

Fortunately, financial help arrived in the form of the  Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), a National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) subsidy funding cover crop efforts to combat erosion and improve soil health. Betts took advantage of their prescribed mixes of three to seven different seed species, and worked with the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program (LERGP) to alternate mixed planting with fallow plots three panels long by three rows wide (24 X 9ft) to serve as an experimental control. This experiment block has been ongoing for eleven years.  

The Betts Farms cover crop program has helped address many practical concerns, including erosion, summer moisture retention, and weed suppression. Betts has further innovated by initiating use of a 5-foot-wide I & J roller crimper in 2015 to terminate cover crops in June, an uncommon practice in Concord grape vineyards. Rolling the aboveground portion of the cover crop protects the soil from rain droplet impact, while cover crop roots hold soil in place during periods of intense rainfall (Figure 2). This decreases the runoff and erosion that may carry pesticides, valuable nutrients, and topsoil away from the grapevines. The roller treatment also addresses the concern that cover crops might compete with vines for soil moisture during times of drought, as the biomass mat created in early June shades the ground, retaining soil moisture. The mat also results in cooler surface temperatures, creating better soil microbe habitat than hot, dry, bare soil. 

Both the actively growing cover crop and the biomass mat help suppress weeds, which is especially important for problematic annual species like Marestail (Condyza canadensis), a plant commonly resistant to glyphosate (Roundup). While Marestail was a significant problem in Betts Farms’ control rows, it was rare in cover cropped rows that had been rolled and crimped (Figure 2), which reduced his overall reliance on glyphosate. The biomass mat provided adequate weed prevention most years, and if it doesn’t, herbicide can be applied as needed.  

Figure 2: A mat of rolled cover crop biomass protects soil during an intense rainfall event that delivered 5 inches in 2 hours on July 14th 2015 (left), cover crops reduce weed growth, as evident here: Marestail (Condyza canadensis) grows in control area, but not in the cover cropped portion behind it (right).

Soil Health Benefits

In addition to the ‘above ground’ benefits, visual inspection makes it obvious that life below ground has improved, too. Earthworms, nature’s plows, are increasingly prevalent. As earthworms eat, soil and decomposing organic matter are mixed together in their gut, then deposited as ‘casts’—stable assemblages of organic and mineral particles atop their burrows. These casts are more fertile than the surrounding soil and help increase nutrient availability for the shallow-rooted grapevines. Betts has also noticed increased lateral vine root growth in areas of increased earthworm activity.

To confirm the empirical observation of improved soil health, Betts worked with Cornell’s New York Soil Health Initiative in May 2021 to collect four composite soil samples from the cover crop and non-cover crop control treatments for a standard soil health assessment at the Cornell Soil Health Lab. Six, 0-6”soil slices were taken as composite samples from two locations within the experimental area, classified as a Barcelona silt loam, which is comprised of approximately 13% sand, 60% silt, and 27% clay. 

The soil samples from the cover-cropped plots had consistently higher soil respiration (27%) and aggregate stability (58%) compared to the non-cover cropped plots (Table 1, Figure 2). Higher soil respiration indicates that cover crop biomass inputs are fueling soil microbe conversion of organic residues into mineral-accessible nutrients, such as nitrate and ammonium, faster than in the controlled plots. Higher aggregate stability measurements confirmed that the soil under cover crops was much better aggregated compared to the non-cover cropped, more compacted, soil (Table 1, Figure 3). Living roots, their associated mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and increased organic matter all help build and maintain stable aggregates, which in turn support greater water infiltration and reduced topsoil erosion. This is evident in a comparison of respiration and aggregate stability values and soil health scores for the Betts Farms treatments compared to pastures and perennial fruit (orchards and vineyards) on silt loam soils in New York (Figure 3). No significant differences were observed in soil organic matter and active carbon, which may be due to high initial levels of soil organic matter and inherent site variability. There is an indication that cover crops make phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) more available, which could help increase vine productivity. 

Table 1: Cover crop (CC) vs. non-cover crop control (NCC) treatment effect for the Betts Farms vineyard in 2021. These values reflect the mean of two composite soil samples per treatment. The abbreviations in the table are as follows: Treatment (Trt), Soil Organic Matter (SOM), Respiration (Resp), Aggregate Stability (Agg Stab), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Magnesium (Mg), Iron (Fe), Soil Health score (SH score), Cover Crop Treatment (CC), Non-Cover Crop Treatment (NCC).

Figure 3: Soil health benchmarking of Betts Farms soil respiration (a) and aggregate stability (b) compared to other pastures and perennial fruit systems on silt loam soils in NYS. 

Vine Productivity Benefits

The ultimate test of any management system is its effect on productivity, and farmers dream of finding a win-win solution that both improves soil health and increases crop yield. Through pruning weight measurements taken between 2019-2021, vines in cover cropped plots where shown to have consistently higher pruning weights than control plots (Table 2). Pruning weights measure the annual growth removed from dormant vines as an indicator of larger vine size and potential crop yield, so higher pruning weights demonstrate that cover crops have improved soil health and nutrient availability, in turn supporting better vine growth. Conversely, loss in vine size would have indicated that cover crops competed with vines for water and nutrients. To verify this effect, crop yield data will be analyzed over the coming years to assess pruning weight trends.  

Table 2: Pruning weights for cover cropped and non-cover cropped areas between 2019-2021.

Conclusion

Bob Betts began his farm’s cover cropping trial in an attempt to reduce soil compaction, but found that it also led to improved soil health and vine productivity. This case study was instrumental in securing additional funding for Betts Farms, working with the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory, NRCS, New York Soil Health Initiative at Cornell, and the New York Farm Viability Institute, to explore further research efforts designed to improve vineyard soil health and achieve farm goals. Stay tuned for more exciting vineyard cover crop innovations!

Jennifer Phillips Russo is an extension associate and viticulture specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension. She is part of the Cornell Lake Erie Research Extension Laboratory (CLEREL) and serves as team leader for the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program. Bob Betts is the fourth-generation farmer and owner of Betts Farm in Westfield, NY. He is passionate about multi-species cover cropping research. Joseph Amsili is an extension associate and program coordinator with the Cornell Soil Health Program and New York Soil Health Initiative.

2024 New York Soil Health Field Days

New York Soil Health Alliance Field Day was held at the Betts Farm in Westfield, NY on June 12, 2024 from 10am-12pm.

The LERGP partnered with NRCS soil scientists and the New York Soil Health Alliance for a day of learning about the benefits of soil health. The program began with presentations in the morning to explain the benefits of soil health in vineyard operations, introduce current research for best management practices in cover cropping in non-irrigated vineyards for water and nutrient conservation, and more.

After lunch, NRCS soil scientists gave soil pit demonstrations and discussed how compacted soils affect grapevine root growth and water infiltration. Dr. Debbie Aller from Cornell’s New York Soil Health Alliance demonstrated the rain simulation truck that allows growers to visually understand runoff, infiltration, and leachate.

We ended the afternoon with a demonstration of the mow and throw technique by Bob Betts as a termination tool for cover crops using the biomass as a mulch under vine. Attendees were able to listen to an overview of the floor management research for nutrient and water conservation in non-irrigated commercial vineyards that the New York Farm Viability Institute funded and see how the treatments perform.

NRCS soil scientists’ discussion on soil profiles, compaction, and infiltration

Soil health rain simulation station to demonstration runoff, infiltration, and leachate

Precision and Digital Viticulture Tools Demonstration Day at CLEREL

Drone flight demonstration at CLEREL

On June 6, 2024, from 10 AM – 4 PM LERGP hosted a Precision and Digital Viticulture Demonstration Day at the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory with brief updates on the research behind the tools.

Artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous platforms, and novel pest management tools and strategies have the potential to dramatically alter grape production systems. This includes technology to assist with phenotyping and selection efforts, the detection and treatment of diseases, and the elimination of weeds under vine rows using fewer herbicides and less soil disturbance.

Carnegie Mellon also demonstrated their robotic pruner. We hosted Haggerty Ag Robotics/Naio Technologies and demonstrated the TED robot (Ted - Naïo Technologies (naio- technologies.com)). We also discussed the potential for autonomous tool carriers to assist with breeding and pest management efforts.

The labs of Dr. Yu Jiang (Digital Agriculture), Dr. Katie Gold (Plant Pathology), and Dr. Lynn Sosnoskie (Weed Science) also showcased their own research with respect to crop and disease mapping and using electrical weeders and targeted, precision sprayers to suppress unwanted vegetation. Drs Jiang, Gold, and Sosnoskie, as well as representative for Haggerty Creek Ag Robotics/Naio Technologies took the opportunity to talk with stakeholders about current and future needs regarding novel technologies in perennial crops, which will help shape local, regional, and national research efforts.

This event was well attended, and the attendees learned about tools and research that may be a part of our management in coming years.

Carnegie Mellon demonstrating their robotic pruner

Haggerty Creek Ag Robotics demonstrating a Naïo Ted autonomous vineyard tool-carrier

Dr. Lynn Sosnoskie showcasing targeted, precision sprayers attached to an ATV

Lake Erie Regional Grape Program Hosts Spotted Lanternfly Update Meeting

On Wednesday, May 1st the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program (LERGP), made up of both Penn State University and Cornell University Extension Specialists, hosted a meeting in collaboration with Penn State University Researchers at Burch Farms in North East, PA to talk about the invasive species Spotted Lanternfly updates for the grape and wine industry.  This meeting was the official kick-off of the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program’s coffee pot meetings for 2024.  It was an all-day event beginning at 9:00AM and ending at 3:15PM. Many thanks to the Burch family for welcoming us into their space and for their hospitality.

The speaker line up boasted some big names in the Penn State Extension and Research arena who have studied this invasive since the invasion in 2017 and are very familiar with the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF). LERGP and PSU Megan Luke put together a powerful agenda that was well received by all in attendance.  These amazing speakers educated local growers, processors stakeholders, and government agencies about this pest.

The day started with Brian Walsh who is an Extension Educator with PSU in Ornamentals and Green Industry.  He has been a commercial insecticide applicator since 2008 and is a commercial plant healthcare contractor, he was located at the epicenter of the initial infestation of SLF in southeastern Pennsylvania and has learned a lot over the past 10 years of dealing with it.  Brian spoke about the population dynamics and management perspectives for SLF outside of the vineyard. Brian feels that learning and understanding the timing and locations to target management strategies are key to successfully managing this pest.

Dr. Cain Hickey was next up.  Cain is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Viticulture with PSU and a Viticulture Extension Educator at Penn State. He works with the Pennsylvania grape and wine industry to solve vineyard management issues and optimize crop production practices.  Cain spoke about Spotted Lanternfly in vineyards: field observations, grower perspectives, and management scenarios.

Dr. Julie Urban who is an Associate Research Professor of Entomology with PSU presented her review of big picture findings from SLF research and observations over the past seven years.  Her research focuses on the natural history of planthoppers and their coevolution with multiple bacterial and fungal endosymbionts. Specifically for SLF, Julie is examining their feeding behavior, nutritional requirements, feeding preferences, thermal tolerances, and other basic aspects of biology to better understand this invasive insect’s impacts and potential for spread.  She has been collaborating with other universities and government agencies to anticipate emergent needs of growers in new regions and grape production systems not yet impacted by SLF.

Next Dr. Flor Acevedo, PSU Assistant Professor of Entomology and Arthropod Ecology, gave some research updates on SLF in vineyards.  She discussed the physiological relationship between lanternfly feeding and grapevine vitality with focuses on impact to production and the importance of effectively managing for grapevine sustainability.

The last speaker prior to lunch was Molly Kelly, PSU Enology Extension Educator. Molly leads educational programming focusing on wine quality, so she discussed the impact of SLF on wine chemistries and volatile aroma compounds.    Molly presented studies done to determine taint and toxicity as well as discussing research on levels of ailanthone in research wines which is a compound derived from Tree of Heaven.

Following lunch Dana Rhodes, State Plant Regulatory Official of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture SLF task force, gave an update on the permit system of Pennsylvania that is recognized by both NYS and PA allowing product to be moved across state lines.  She also explained the process once a report is made of a SLF sighting for sending out a team to do a grid search for further detection.

Megan Luke (LERGP/PSU Extension Educator Tree Furit and Viticulture) and Andrew Holden (LERGP/PSU Business Specialist) presented a practical spray program that they have developed and the associated costs for ongoing SLF management in processor-bound grapes.  They worked together to create a cost of treatment for various spray program scenarios.

Claudia Schmidt of Penn State Extension joined the meeting by Zoom and continued on that theme by speaking about quantifying the economic impact of SLF on grape growers. Her research focuses on diversification options for small scale agricultural producers and processors. She is an assistant professor of Marketing and Local/Regional Food Systems at Penn State University.

The final presentation was a grower panel that joined by Zoom. Dean Scott, Ben Cody, Zach Waltz, Carl Helrich, and Rich Blair were the growers that assisted in the panel who are vineyard owners and managers from southeastern Pennsylvania that have been dealing with the SLF infestation for many years.  They were able to discuss practical strategies, tips, successes, and concerns with the audience at Burch Farms which went a long way to ease anxieties for our growers who have not dealt with this pest as of yet.

Over the course of the day there were many collaborations made and strengthened, as well as connections for resources and information to help the Lake Erie Grape Region grower and industry stakeholders.  This powerful event fostered communication for transparency when this agricultural pest arrives in our region.  Each attendee was sent home with a Spotted Lanternfly Pocket Guide developed by the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program designed and formatted by Kim Knappenberger of the LERGP team and based on research by PSU and Cornell University.  This guide was created to aid in the identification of the various stages of the SLF life cycle and then give information about how to scout, manage, and report sightings in both New York and Pennsylvania.

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua).  CCE-Chautauqua is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of Directors with general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities

Wine Sensory Evaluation Workshops

Anna Katherine Mansfield and Chris Gerling of the Cornell Craft Beverage Institute

The LERGP collaborated with the Cornell Craft Beverage Institute to bring programming to our winery stakeholders! There were two opportunities in our region to learn from presentations and a sensory workshop from our Enology Extension Specialists, Anna Katharine Mansfield and Chris Gerling, with a wine production focus. This was an interactive workshop on sensory evaluation that presented wine flaws to educate winemakers on recognizing them in their operations.

Both workshops were well attended with 35 attendees in total.

Frost/Freeze Event: April 24-25, 2024

Senator George Borrello talking to our growers and listening to their concerns.

Low temperatures in the Lake Erie Region dropped below freezing in many locations April 24-25, 2024, that affected approximately 70% of the 16,000 acres of Concord grapes in the hardest hit area of Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties.

Lake Erie Regional Grape Program team and Dr. Terry Bates coordinated efforts between New York Ag and Markets, Farm Bureau, growers, crop insurance agencies, industry stakeholders, and government officials to begin the process of disaster declaration.

We established a survey to get grower input asking how many acres they have, what varieties, and what their assessment of the levels of damage that might have occurred is. Through our coffee pot meetings connections were made and a collaborative effort between Farm Bureau, CLEREL, and the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program to bring legislatures and growers together to discuss their concerns and how they may be able to assist our industry as we navigate this damage.

That meeting was well attended, and your voices have been heard.

New Addition to Lake Erie Regional Grape Program’s Team Bolsters Business Management Expertise

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is excited to announce the recent addition of Andrew Holden to the team.  The Business Management Extension Educator at LERGP plays a crucial role providing growers and processors with educational programming and resources that address specific needs and opportunities for the grape industry. The Lake Erie Grape Belt extends all the way from Erie County Pennsylvania through Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie and Niagara counties of New York.  The business management extension educator is part of an extension team consisting of Jennifer Phillips Russo, Viticulture Extension specialist with Cornell, and Megan Luke, Viticulture and Tree Fruit extension educator with Penn State Extension.  

Andrew Holden was hired by Penn State Extension and started in his position at the beginning of March. He comes to us with a background in agriculture having grown up on a dairy farm in Pierpont, Ohio, right on the Pennsylvania/Ohio border.  His family farm was quite diverse and included milking cows, cultivating row crops, managing timber, producing maple syrup, making hay, and even growing a small amount of Concord grapes for personal use.  Andrew pursued his education at Ohio State University, earning a B.S. in Agribusiness and Applied Economics and later obtaining an M.S. in Agricultural and Extension Education.  In his previous role he served as the Ashtabula County Agricultural Extension Educator with Ohio State University Extension for the past 5 years. Looking ahead, Andrew is eager to bring his passion for agriculture, grapes, and wine along with his economic knowledge to this new position and to the growers in the Lake Erie Grape Region.  He is looking forward to engaging with growers to help him understand their needs to ensure that his role equips them with the tools needed for success.  His office is located at the Cornell AgriTech campus in Portland, NY (CLEREL).

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua).  CCE-Chautauqua is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of Directors with general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

2024 Lake Erie Regional Grape Program Winter Grower Conference

We held an excellent program on March 14, 2024, at the New York State University of New York at Fredonia located in the Williams Center on campus.

This year’s Winter Grower Conference featured experts from many fields. The grower advisory panel had many suggestions of important topics that they wanted information on. As always, the day was full of information on the latest research- based tools that can be taken home and applied to your vineyard.

Our regional growers and industry stakeholders come to the LERGP Growers Conference in March of each year to hear the research based information developed by Cornell and Penn State faculty and extension staff as well as other speakers from across the country. This event was very well attended with over 100 in attendance.

2024 Spotted Lanternfly Summit

A few months ago, the organizers of the 2024 Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) Summit reached out to us to invite us to present our industry’s needs, concerns, and upcoming challenges that we will face when the Spotted Lanternfly reaches our region. This 8th Annual SLF Summit was an event that provides research and regulatory information to those interested in learning more about spotted lanternfly. It was an opportunity to be in front of funding agencies, researchers, and decision makers to introduce them to what a highly mechanized industry will encounter when this agricultural pest invades our vineyard blocks.

Past research has provided us with invaluable tools on the life cycle, movement, and management in hand-harvested regions, but there is a gap in research in mechanized areas because it simply in not there yet in numbers needed to study. As a region, we want to be prepared and proactive when it comes to managing Spotted Lanternfly in our highly mechanized operations. It was our mission to inform the decision makers of first, maps of the region and infested areas surrounding it, and the potential of interstate and rail that transects our blocks threatening to deposit hitchhiking SLF. Second, we presented numbers on how big our long-established industry is, the efforts we have made to prepare our stakeholders for SLF infestations, the current SLF monitoring efforts, and the potential economic impact to our industry once SLF is here.

Thirdly, we provided video and demonstrated to the audience of over 250 attendees in person and virtual, what a mechanized operation in our area looks like to bring awareness of the potential struggles that we will face especially during bulk harvest when there are no opportunities to physically remove any unwanted SLFs from the harvested fruit. This video also demonstrated the vastness of our vineyard blocks, and we discussed the concerns of marginal profits.

LERGP then provided a long list of grower concerns gleaned from many of our interactions with all of you to the decision makers. The list we presented is below, but additional discussion during the panel section revealed some that were not listed:

  • How many SLF will reject a bulk harvested load

  • SLF Threshold before vine decline

  • Quarantine loads unable to move cross county/state lines

  • How many post harvest sprays are required

  • How many additional sprays can our juice industry absorb economically

  • Mechanical harvesting issues with SLF infestations

  • Toxicity/taint of SLF in product

  • Mating disruptors or Pheromone traps?

  • Impact of derelict vineyards and unmanaged woodlots

  • Impact of rail traffic through infested areas

  • Protections (i.e. insurance?) against economic losses like vine death or rejected loads

  • Potential for disease spread through vectoring

We wanted to not only give the concerns of our growers, but to include the processor stakeholders and how it may affect the end users of the fruits of our labor and grower-owners. Our industry works very closely together to ensure that we remain viable and have always been supportive of our efforts. I put out a call to action for support that was generously answered. This Summit required presenters from our region to drive over five hours and there was a cost to attend. Our industry recognized the importance of getting our needs in front of the funding agencies and decision

makers to bring research to our region and joined us in Harrisburg, PA. We gave a powerful panel discussion that included a representative from the juice industry, the wine industry, and the nursery industry in our region to convey concerns of management strategies, potential delays in operations, and the potential economic impact nationally and globally should those disruptions occur due to SLF.

This was our chance to showcase the rich heritage of our region and importance of needed research to fill the gaps and support highly mechanized areas for sustainability in the wake of Spotted Lanternfly infestations. We presented to esteemed researchers who are experts in SLF, members of many State Agricultural Departments, and to Matt Travis, the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s, National Policy Manager. Matt is the national Spotted Lanternfly policy maker. He was very engaged in our discussion and thankful to have this brought to our nation’s attention. Matt expressed his concern that the National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) only includes data on grapes from the west coast and that there was important data of eastern viticulture that was missing. He personally thanked me for putting numbers to our region so that the nation can have a better understanding of the impact that SLF may have on all grape growing areas. I took the opportunity to give him my contact information and an invitation to reach out for more information or contacts. I also informed him that the New York State Wine and Grape Industry has taken it upon themselves to create their own survey to obtain this important information. This meeting also solidified personal contacts with decision makers from New York State Department of Agriculture and future collaborations. During our presentation and panel discussion, there were many notes taken by attendees and great comments and questions fielded. This was a very important meeting for the future of our Integrated Pest Management, not only on a regional level, but also nationally how this invasive will affect other mechanized regions that will soon be threatened by SLF as well. We were officially thanked in front of the attendees for bringing industry concerns and interactions to the Spotted Lanternfly Summit, a piece that has been missing from the inception of these summits. I am very proud of the exposure, recognition, and support that we received after our presentation and panel discussion, and I am hopeful for future outcomes.

Eastern Viticulture and Enology Forum (EVEF) Webinar Series

The Eastern Viticulture and Enology Forum (EVEF) hosted a webinar: Optimizing Vineyard Spray Programs: Insights from FRAME Networks Project.

Eastern Viticulture and Enology Forum Series (EVEF) is a collaborative effort between the Penn State Extension Grape and Wine Team and several viticulture and enology Extension programs from the following U.S. land grant institutions: Colorado State University, Cornell University, University of Georgia, Iowa State University, University of Maryland, Ohio State University, and Rutgers University. As part of the Eastern Viticulture and Enology Forum Webinar Series, this session was a collaborative effort between these viticulture and enology extension programs coordinated for grape growers and winemakers.

On January 10, 2024 we held a viticulture session - Building Better Spray Programs: practical outcomes from the FRAME networks project, January 24, 2024 was an enology session - An Acid Management Toolkit for Eastern Wines, February 14, 2024 viticulture session – A current review of Spotted Lanternfly updates and findings in vineyards, and February 28, 2024 enology session- Management of Malolactic Fermentation: impact factors. The speakers discussed the biggest takeaways for grape growers across the United States. These events were very well attended.

MyEV Workshop

MyEV training at the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory in Portland, NY

Dr. Terry Bates and Jennifer Phillips Russo held a MyEV Workshop on February 13, 2024 as a direct result of our advisory committee suggestions. Our growers asked for more opportunities to come in and learn more about the MyEV Tool and how it may benefit them in their operations.

MyEV Tool is a precision agricultural tool that was developed for the grape industry through the 6.2 million dollar Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant the Efficient Vineyard Project. This led to another grant with Dr. Terry Bates through NIFA’s AFRI grant, Cost effective spatial data visualization and decision support for small and medium-sized vineyards. It is our goal to engage producers to use personalized digital agriculture solutions in their own operations. The problem is that most small producers do not have the tools (process) or information (content) or experience (high impact activities) to achieve transformational education in digital agriculture. By integrating research-based digital agriculture education, new spatial processing tools, and producer-led on-farm activities will lead to transformational education in spatial-data driven variable-rate farm management.

We held several one-on-one meetings with growers to get them started this quarter and had 18 attendees at our first two MyEV Workshops in January and February 2024.

Snapshot of the MyEV platform block drawing tool

Tips in Preparation of Herbicide Shortages in 2022 – Tree Fruit and Small Fruit Crops

Thierry E. Besançon, Rutgers University, and Lynn M. Sosnoskie, Cornell University

Many growers in the US have been focused on predicted herbicide shortages in the upcoming field season. While the primary concerns have surrounded glyphosate and glufosinate, there is increasing apprehension that active ingredients of importance to tree fruit and small fruit growers may also be affected. Although the supply change is dynamic, chemical stocks may become, and remain, tight at the local or regional level as growers try to fill gaps in their toolboxes. As spring residual herbicide are soon to be applied, please consider the following when planning for the 2022 season.

Important note: Not all herbicides are available in all crops in both New Jersey and New York.

Always review current labels before applying products.

Successful Weed Identification, Regular Scouting and Detailed Field Records are Crucial for Optimizing Weed Control Success

The first step in developing a novel herbicide program is knowing what species are present and determining which combination of products will be the most effective (and affordable) at suppressing them. Not all active ingredients are equally useful against all species and careful consideration needs to be paid to each chemical’s spectrum of control. Please, carefully review herbicide effectiveness tables for various weed species that are available in the 2022 Commercial New Jersey Pest Control Recommendations for blueberry, tree fruits or grape (https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/). Similar tables are available in Cornell’s weed control guides (PMEP Guidelines (cornell.edu))

Familiarize Yourself with Chemical Substitutes before Applying Them over Many Acres

Some switches may be intuitive (e.g. using Poast (sethoxydim) or Fusilade (fluazifop) in place of clethodim where allowed) while others may be more complicated (e.g. using a tank-mixture in place of a single product). In addition to knowing a product’s target species, become acquainted with each herbicide’s labeled rate structure and spray volume, use patterns (e.g. application timing), environmental limitations (e.g. soil type or temperature restrictions), adjuvant requirements, and potential interactions with tank-mix partners. Not all chemicals are compatible with each other, and antagonism can reduce weed control efficacy while enhancing crop injury concerns. Contact your Extension Specialists if you have any doubt regarding physical compatibility and efficacy of herbicides mixtures.

Soil-Applied Preemergence Herbicides are Critical Tools

Soil-applied preemergence herbicides are very useful tools for suppressing weeds that emerge with the crop; these plants are the most injurious as early season competitors are very likely to reduce yields. Like postemergence products, soil-applied herbicides must be carefully selected to balance crop safety with weed control needs. Pay attention to rate requirements according to soil type, as this can influence both efficacy and injury. Preemergence herbicides need to be moved (aka activation) into the soil solution (via either rainfall or irrigation) where they are taken-up by emerging weed seedlings; delays in activation can reduce overall performance if some weeds continue to germinate and emerge under low soil moisture conditions. Delays may also facilitate the degradation of some products susceptible to breakdown in sunlight (i.e. photolysis). Be aware that trickle irrigation may cause less effective and less

consistent weed control by washing off residual herbicides from top soil where weeds germinate, thus increasing herbicide application costs. When possible, use overlapping residual products to suppress weed emergence throughout the season. Some active ingredients may have both preemergence and postemergence activity (e.g. flumioxazin (Chateau) or simazine (Princep)).

Timing Matters

Postemergence (i.e. foliar) weed control should be undertaken when weeds are small and succulent. Herbicide labels will have specific recommendations regarding the optimal size for treatment. For instance, clethodim (Select Max) and sethoxydim (Poast) have a maximum height or lateral growth requirement of 6 inches for effective control of goosegrass or crabgrass. Weeds are more sensitive to control measures when they are small and succulent, so rapid identification and management will improve control success. Because many foliar-applied herbicides can also damage crops, as well, always follow label guidance to reduce risk of injury.

Optimize Herbicide Application Rate for Postemergence Applications

Target using the lowest effective herbicide rate to stretch your herbicide supply. For example, instead of applying 32 or 44 oz/acre of a glyphosate brand product, consider using the standard rate on the label such as 22 oz/acre for Roundup PowerMax. Again, timing of application with regards to weed size will be critical to optimize your herbicide supply. The smaller the weeds, the less herbicide you will have to apply to control it! Therefore, frequent scouting as highlighted above will be very important to optimize your herbicide application and stretch your herbicide supply.

Don’t Skimp on Adjuvants

If herbicides are going to be in short supply, then there may be fewer shots to control weeds. If there are fewer shots available, make every shot count as much as possible. Follow label recommendations regarding the inclusion of water conditioners, surfactants, etc…, to maximize product efficacy. Refer to point number two about potential compatibility concerns when tank-mix partners are involved.

Get Perennial Weeds under Control

Perennial species such as Canada thistle, goldenrods, bindweed or quackgrass are frequent and troublesome weeds of tree fruit and small fruit crops. Because control of these weeds requires the use of systemic herbicides that may be in short supply (i.e. glyphosate), appropriate timing of application will be critical to maximize herbicide efficacy. For example, Canada thistle should be sprayed with a systemic herbicide in late spring after flower buds started to develop whereas Virginia creeper or poison ivy should be targeted in mid- to late summer after vines flowers but before fall color appears in the foliage. Use effective alternatives such as clopyralid (Stinger) for control of leguminous and composite (e.g. Canada thistle) weeds or soil-applied pronamide (Kerb) for control of perennial grasses where authorized. This may help you to reserve the use of glyphosate for perennial weeds that cannot be efficiently controlled by other products.

Consider Non-Chemical Weed Control Strategies When and Where Appropriate

This includes hand weeding, cultivation, and mowing practices. Like herbicides, these practices are not effective against all species at all times. For example, while cultivation can control many weed seedlings, particularly at the white-thread stage, soil disturbance is less effective against well-developed plants. In the case of some perennials (for instance, field bindweed or Canada thistle), cultivation contributes to break up and disperse root fragments within and across fields, facilitating dispersal. Ultimately, plan for

hand-weeding escapes prior to the weeds setting seeds as this will help reducing the weed seedbank for future growing seasons.

Plan Ahead Now

2022 could be a difficult year if many crop production and protection chemicals are limited. Herbicide shortages could impact weed control success in the coming growing season…and beyond. Weeds that are not controlled in 2022 will set seed that will cause problems in the future. Planning now can help with weed management in both the short and long term.

CCE's Developing Response to COVID-19

NY EDEN, which is the Extension Disaster Education Network, is here for you. If you are looking for up to date information about COVID-19 and other potential disasters, please follow the links below.

The New York State Office of Emergency Management Emergency Operations Center is activated. Using DART and ICS, we continue to work with our Federal and State Agency partners to provide scientific, evidence-based resources for our external stakeholders, audiences, and partners.

Viticulture Extension Specialist hired.

New Viticulture Extension Specialist!

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is very pleased to announce that Jennifer Russo has joined their team as the new viticulture extension specialist! The viticulture extension specialist at LERGP plays a key role providing growers in the Lake Erie Grape Belt with the latest research-based information to assist them in producing grapes in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner.  The Lake Erie Grape Belt extends all the way from Erie county Pennsylvania through Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie and Niagara counties of New York.  The viticulture extension specialist is part of an extension team consisting of Tim Weigle, Grape and Hops IPM specialist, Kevin Martin business management specialist, and Andy Muza extension educator.

 

Jenn_headshot 1.jpg

Jennifer Russo actually joined the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension in 2018 as a research technician with the Efficient Vineyard project where she was focused on improving crop estimation procedures and practices from vineyard through industry.  This improvement would have a ripple effect from helping a grower to better understand the amount of grapes in his/her vineyard(s) and the management decisions that flow from there, to trucking, processing, tank space, projections of revenues, and even crop insurance claims. In order to help solve this problem, the development of an accurate automated berry counting machine was deemed necessary.  Jennifer was integral in designing the Cornell Grape Counter (CGC) machine designed specifically to count grapes at the various stages in their development. Working with National Grape Cooperative she was able to fine tune the process over the 2018 growing season. This machine is able to count the berries in 50 clusters of grapes (3,000-5,000 grapes) in approximately 2 minutes with a 99.5% accuracy.  Traditionally it would take a person an average of 52 minutes to count this same number of berries and would add the possibility of human error.  By using this CGC machine a grower would be able to decrease labor costs, increase accuracy and provide digitized data for crop estimates required by local grape processors.

 

Graduating from The State University of New York at Fredonia with both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degrees, Jennifer later went back as an adjunct Biology/Environmental Science professor and graduate research scientist.  Her career has been focused on environmental issues and sustainability and therefore her attention has been drawn to a number of local efforts including TimberFish Technologies LLC as the director of research and development.  This organization is working to offer solutions to the looming threats to the future food supply and safety posed by rising populations and environmental pollution. This is being done by developing and implementing new ecotechnologies that are environmentally sound and economically competitive in today’s marketplace.  Additionally Jennifer has been a Principal Investigator for the Chautauqua County portion of the Lake Erie watershed, and has worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Northern Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative on stream stabilization and connectivity projects to ensure future viable specie populations, reduce shrinking habitats, and assess current infrastructure effects on hydrology, sediment transport, and water quality of streams and watersheds.

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is happy to have a viticulture extension specialist on staff again and welcomes members of the program to call or stop in to meet Jennifer.  She is excited to meet growers and looks forward to helping them get the best out of their vines. 

SPECIAL ALERT! SPOTTED LANTERNFLY FOUND IN NEW YORK STATE!