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Viticulture Field Day at MSU will tout rebuilding older vineyards

 
By KEVIN WALKER
Michigan Correspondent

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — The 26th annual Viticulture Field Day will be at Michigan State University’s Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center July 29.
The backdrop for the field day is how Michigan’s grape industry has been devastated for the last two years by winter injury to vines.
Several workshops will focus on the task of rebuilding damaged vineyards. There will also be more typical presentations related to vineyard management issues, such as weed control, disease management, irrigation of new vineyards and canopy management.
Demonstrations of vineyard equipment will also have a focus on winter injury. A wine showcase and steak cookout will round out the day.
Among topics under discussion will be fungicide resistance in grape diseases, presented by MSU researcher and extension specialist Annemiek Schilder, an associate professor of plant pathology at MSU. Schilder has been doing research in this area for the past six years.
“The purpose of this project is to determine a possible explanation for lowered fungicide efficacy in some vineyards and to determine the status quo so we can improve our fungicide resistance management strategies to delay the development of fungicide resistance, particularly to extend the life of new fungicide chemistries,” she said.
She’ll also discuss plant viruses that affect Michigan grapes, particularly grapevine leafroll virus, which is vectored by mealybugs.
“Grape viruses can lower grape yield and quality,” she said. “Some, like tobacco ringspot virus, can kill vines. We’ve done surveys the past five years to determine which of these viruses infect grapes in Michigan.”
Schilder holds a Ph.D. and master’s degree in plant pathology from Cornell University and a bachelor’s in agronomy from the University of Louisiana. Her general areas of expertise are small fruit crops, mycology and integrated disease management.
Paulo Sabbatini, an assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Horticulture, will discuss vine canopy management.
Through research funded by the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council and Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs), Sabbatini has been studying the interactions among several viticulture factors, such as physical characteristics of both the fruit and vine, and environmental conditions and their effects on grape quality.
The research will help growers and winemakers better understand the relationship between vine growth and fruit quality. Sabbatini holds a Ph.D. and master’s in hor-ticulture from the University of Ancona in Italy and did post-doctoral work at MSU from 2004-07. His research focuses on wine and juice grape physiology under Michi-gan’s cool climate conditions.
Other topics will include interplanting for changing grape varieties, irrigation of new vineyards, weed control and strategies to avoid winter injury.
The event, cosponsored by MSU AgBioResearch, extension and the Michigan Grape Society, will begin at 9 a.m. with a trade show. There will be 10 different workshops and a complimentary lunch.
After workshops end at 4:30 p.m., participants can attend the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Showcase, which will be followed by a steak cookout. More information on the event is available online at www.agbioresearch.msu.edu/events
Registration is $45. The Center is located at 1791 Hillandale Road in Benton Harbor. For more details, call Diane Miner at 269-944-1477, ext. 201.
7/22/2015