Ohio Grape-Wine Electronic Newsletter

UH Ohio Grape-Wine Electronic Newsletter David Scurlock, Viticulture Outreach Specialist Department of Horticulture and Crop Science Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center 1680 Madison Avenue Wooster, OH 44691-4096 HUwww.oardc.ohio-state.edu/grapeweb/ 30 September 2014 (30) Content: Ohio Grape and Wine Day Hilling Equipment Summary OARDC Vineyard Update The Driest September Ever? Know Your Grape and Wine Experts

ASHTABULA AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH STATION Ohio Grape & Wine Day Summary of Equipment Demonstration Hilling up for Winter Protection Growing tender grape varieties in cold winter regions requires the graft union and as much as possible of the fruiting varieties trunk be protected from damaging cold temperatures. Snow cover, also an effective thermal blanket, is not consistent in Ohio so soil cover has been the most economical choice to provide protection. As little as 2-4 of soil cover will moderate even the coldest of arctic blasts. On August 13, in response to the damage resulting from the Polar Vortex, the Ashtabula ARS, with guidance from its advisory committee, put together an Ohio Grape & Wine Day with a lineup of machinery to show grower options to provide soil protection of their vineyards. The following machines were present for the demonstration:

Rineiri FRM Rineiri FRM Disk on loan from BDI, tractor and operator from Ferrante Winery BDI Buy Direct Int., Macungie, Pa. http://www.bdimachinery.net/ Disc harrow model FRM with special supports Stone-Jumper of working groups equipped with antishock springs, the frame is width adjustable and cylinder for vertical hydraulic lifting available in order to reduce the overall and easier the movements. The rear roller adjusts the working depth between 6 and 12 cm. Available model with 12 16 20 discs. Cost: $10,000-$15,000 depending on model and options. The Rineri FRM really did a very nice job building hills. Since it is a full-width disk it forms hills on two sides per operation. We found that a great hill was formed with 3-4 passes, but you can really go down the row at a faster rate of speed than some of the other options. Since the entire row middle is disturbed in the operation we would highly recommend seeding over with bin oats for quick erosion protection. You will need a 85+tractor with front weights, 4WD recommended, for heavy soils.

Braun LUV Braun LUV Tractor on loan from Elrick s Vineyard H&W Equipment, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. http://www.vineyardmachines.com/ BRAUN LUV Perfect - Sensor controlled in row cultivating Grape Hoe for one or two rows, with plough attachments for hilling or down hilling. Single or double mid mount, front or rear mount units. Cost: Basic sideslope adjustment with undercutter, hilling disk. Approx. $7,500 (not confirmed) plus mount fabrication. The Braun LUV works best when soil adjacent to the vine row is regularly worked. Multiple passed are sometimes needed and it is best to allow settling time between passes. The blade can be reversed to assist in hill removal along with a second pass using the under-cutter blade and soil kicker to help clean around vines. This unit will make hills one side per pass. Two-side models are available but you had better have straight rows for this one! A seeding of the hill with bin oats will provide soil protection as well as trap snow, providing additional protection. You don t need lots of HP to run a Braun LUV but the side-slope adjustable model (recommended) does require 3-spool hydraulics having a detent and a float so you better contact H&W to see if you have what this implement requires.

Unverferth Maximus Disk Unverferth Maximus Disk On loan from Laurentia Winery, tractor from Ferrante Winery http://www.umequip.com/literature/pdf/maximus-disk.pdf Both front and rear gangs feature tool free, gang-positioning adjustability from the traditional X-shape to a diamond-shape to match the desired level of tillage aggressiveness and width. Aggressively tills and penetrates soil between rows up to six inches deep for effective, efficient weed control and soil leveling. Cost: $6,525 This disk, set at an aggressive angle with all gangs throwing soil to the outside throws up a giant hill. Since it moves soil from across the row middle, a quick seeding of bin oats is highly recommended. One grower has removed the rear gangs and used his Maximus as a very heavy Border Disk. These disks work well when using a 75-100HP tractor, preferably with 4WD and front weights. Multiple passes (3-4) are required.

Clover Hill 3-Pt.Hitch Disk Plow Clover Hill 3-Pt.Hitch Disk Plow, Clover Hill Sales, LLC North East, PA http://www.cloverhillsales.com/contact-us.html The Clover Hill Disk Plow is a modified agricultural plow redesigned to provide fresh soil where erosion has exposed roots. It is also used to provide a soil mound to provide winter protection of grafted vines. Cost: $3,800 but call ahead for current pricing. The Clover Hill Plow will throw a very nice hill when adjusted properly and does not disturb the entire row middle. It is highly recommended to add a hydraulic 3-PT remote cylinder (usually on the right arm) for pitch adjustment. Once you get this plow adjusted you can cover a lot of ground in a hurry, albeit one side per pass (2 passes per row). When the soils are wet the plow tends to grab and can throw you around a bit. This plow can really throw the soil, so the limiting factor to keep soil from ending up in the adjacent row is adjusting your speed! You will want to use a 40+HP tractor with front weights. This plow is shown on an 80HP tractor with 4WD (recommended). Protect bare soil when possible by over seeding with a cover crop such as bin oats.

Green Hoe with Hilling Blade Green Hoe Company, Portland, New York www.greenhoecompany.com/ For in-row cultivation and weed control in vineyards, orchards and nurseries, nothing beats HYD-ROW- HOE. Hoe in between and around plants. The unit utilizes your tractor's existing hydraulic system (no special pump is required), and is adaptable to almost all makes of tractors. HYD-ROW-HOE performs hilling up and hoeing away functions perfectly. Cost: $3,300 basic hoe, mount and hilling & take-away included, $94 for large hilling blade. The Green Hoe is well known for weed control in Great Lakes vineyards. The hilling blade is larger to build higher hills. The Green Hoe can be used on lower HP tractors. The tractor shown here is a 52HP 2WD. Broadcast seed over bare soil with bin oats to provide a quick cover and to trap winter snow. Multiple passes are usually required to make a higher hill.

Buckeye Tractor Vineyard Model 5261V-A Adjustable Disk Hiller Buckeye Tractor, Columbus Grove, Ohio Sales through George F. Ackerman Co. - Agricultural http://www.buctraco.com/ http://www.ackermantoledo.com/agricultural.html The one piece of equipment that we had hoped to include at our field day is an implement commonly referred to as a Border Disk, but also known in varying configurations as a Disk Bedder. Turns out, a company right here in Ohio manufactures them, although not in the desired vineyard configuration. Buckeye Tractor re-configured their Disk Bedder to a Vineyard Disk Hiller for a September 25 demo. Kurt Ackerman, of the George F. Ackerman Co., made the trip over to northeast Ohio, at growers request, to demo this piece of equipment. We found that these units effectively threw a hill up in 2-3 passes using 38-90HP tractors, most with 4WD, in our heavy NE Ohio soils. Cost: $3,500 for the 2-blade Buckeye 5261V-A (Early Order Discounts through Geo.F.Ackerman Co.)

In Summary: There are many options available to Ohio growers for the hilling up of vines. Each option has advantages and disadvantages. To make your decision you will need to look at many factors including your existing equipment required to power the hilling implement, economics of the implement, and your vineyard needs; such as slope, soil type, and the date of ripening. Why the date of ripening you ask? Because we typically throw a small hill sometime in September to form a base, usually before harvest, but later we build our final hill right after harvest is complete. If we perform final hilling prior to harvest the larger hill, rut, and disturbed row middle would interfere with harvest operations. A late ripening variety means a late final hill with less chance of successfully establishing an erosion-protective cover crop. In this case you might choose an option that won t disturb the row middle. It is difficult to justify a $10,000 disk for a small vineyard but with 30 or more acres, the efficiency may justify the cost. Any way you look at it, the damage we experienced after the Polar Vortex rolled through the region, we found out that most of us need to do a better job protecting our vines through adequate hilling. I hope you find this review helpful and it helps you be a better winegrower. Best Regards, Greg Ashtabula Agricultural Research Station 2625 South Ridge Road Kingsville, Ohio 44048 Phone 440 224 0273 Fax 440 224 3160 Email johns.1@osu.edu URL http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/branches/branchinfo.asp?id=1 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/oardc-ashtabula-agricultural-research-station/818650491503243 CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information: http://go.osu.edu/cfaesdiversity.

OARDC Vineyard Update by David Scurlock, OSU/OARDC Viticulture Outreach Specialist Grape Phenology: September 29th, NY76.0844.24, recently named Aromella, has grapefruit and muscat flavors and is still hanging on the vine. Development of sugars and the lowering of acidity seems to be slow. At the end of August I thought it would only be a short time until these were harvested. The crop is light and the weather has been warm during the day and cool at night with virtually no rain. Perfect ripening conditions NY76.0844.24-Aromella August 28 2014 photo by Dave Scurlock NY76.0844.24-Aromella September 29 2014 photo by Dave Scurlock

Chambourcin is fully colored now. We are just waiting for the sugars to increase a little more and for the acids to drop to be better balanced. The flavor is not fully developed yet either, but with a little more time it will get there. Chambourcin July 30 2014 photo by Dave Scurlock Chambourcin August 28 2014 photo by Dave Scurlock Chambourcin September 29 2014 photo by Dave Scurlock

Chardonel clusters and berries are sizing well and the flavor is coming along too. Both birds and bees are becoming more of a problem the longer the grapes hang. *see bottom right picture Chardonel taken July 30 2014 photo by Dave Scurlock Chardonel taken August 28 2014 photo by Dave Scurlock Chardonel taken September 29 2014 Bird Damage photos by Dave Scurlock

The Traminette vineyard has a very light crop and the color finally changed to more of a golden color. On August 29, I did not taste the berries because they looked too green and hard. The Traminette have a wonderful flowery gewurztraminer like flavor due to one of its parents. Traminette taken July 30 2014 photo by Dave Scurlock Traminette taken August 28 2014 photo by Dave Scurlock Traminette taken September 29 2014 photo by Dave Scurlock

LaCresent, is still hanging on the vine. The grapefruit or citrusy flavors make a terrific wine. LaCresent normally does not hang well so it must be watched carefully and picked when ready. I think this dry September has allowed LaCresent to hang better than most years but it is beginning to shrivel a little. Birds are still hitting on this variety. La Crescent taken July 30 2014 Photo by Dave Scurlock La Crescent taken August 28 2014 Photo by Dave Scurlock La Crescent taken September 29 2014 Photo by Dave Scurlock

Frontenac flavors are present but we would like to let the grapes hang until the acid levels go below 1% TA or titratable acidity. Frontenac can reach sugars as high as 30 0 Brix or sugars in really good years like 2012. Frontenac taken July 30 2014 Photo by Dave Scurlock Frontenac taken August 28 2014 Photo by Dave Scurlock Frontenac taken September 29 2014 Photo by Dave Scurlock

Frontenac gris is typically a little lower in acidity than Frontenac. At the present time the berries are beginning to shrivel so I would expect them to be harvested soon. Frontenac gris taken July 30 2014 Photo by Dave Scurlock Frontenac gris taken August 29 2014 Photo by Dave Scurlock Frontenac gris taken September 29 2014 Photo by Dave Scurlock Marquette is very productive and makes a nice red wine.

Marquette is starting to shrivel and should be picked very soon. Marquette photo taken July 30 2014 photo by Dave Scurlock Marquette photo taken August 28 2014 Photo by Dave Scurlock Marquette taken September 29 2014 Photo by Dave Scurlock

Weather Conditions: Wooster weather comparisons of 2014 Growing degree days start April 1 and continue until the end of the growing season on October 31 YEAR 2014 PRECIP.in. Ave. Min. F Ave. Max. F Monthly Total GDD GDD *April 5.6 39 62 101 101 *May 2.7 50 74 364 465 *June 5.7 59 81 595 1060 *July 2.2 59 79 568 1628 *August 4.1 59 81 610 2268 **September 0.8 51 75 367 2589 10 year Ave. 2005-2014 - - - 1 2764 *April-August have been updated ** September data includes September 29, this will be updated next month to include the whole month 1-The 10 year average for GDD from April-September is 2764 GDD. 2014 is 175 GDD below the 10 year average and 470 GDD below the best year of 2010, for GDD. Despite the cool wet season sugars and acids are still developing nicely and harvest should be near normal harvest dates. Pest & Disease Situation As I stated in last month s OGEN The SWD should be more prevalent as the sugar levels in grapes increases to around 15 0 brix and above. I have been continually monitoring for the SWD and this week we did catch quite a few females and about half as many males. The threshold for a spray application is one. Please be vigilant in monitoring for the SWD and the BMSB as the reports in other states have been recording increasing numbers of each. We recommend alternating Mustang Max and Malathion at this time of year because of the short PHI. Cultural Practices: Berry sampling and mowing are the standard field operations. There have been 8 cover sprays applied to the vineyard this year. Disease control has been pretty good this year. Grower Observations: Weeds have gotten a little out of control this year due to several factors. Due to the winter damage and bringing up new replacement trunks we backed off our herbicide program. Coupled with the cool wet summer weeds went wild. Next year we should have a good supply of Rely and the new herbicide that was approved this year for the vineyard, Cheetah should be more available too.

The Driest September Ever? by Dave Scurlock, OSU/OARDC Viticulture Outreach Specialist The Bottom line, NOT. The weather this September has been beautiful! The norm is rain along with potential rot problems in the vineyard during September. I could not remember a September in recent history that was as dry as this past month. Luckily, we can go back into the OARDC archives that now only go back to 1982 easily. The archives go back further if you want to but the IT people have to pull out the old tapes to get them. The only year that comes close in precipitation to this year was 1998 with a similar precipitation amount of 0.8 inches of precipitation. *Please see the table below. I was initially betting on 1988, which was a hot dry year but records state that we had 3 inches of rain in September. In Table 1, since this year had exceptional grape quality for comparison value. I have really enjoyed the ability to get out and get field work done outside the entire month without having to plan around the weather. This is not to say that other areas around the state are experiencing the same conditions. I have included a couple of other areas such as Kingsville and Piketon for comparison sake in Table 1. Piketon had about 0.5 inches of rain more than Wooster in the month of September although this is a 1.5 inches below the 10 year average. Kingsville had 3 times more rainfall than Wooster in September but it was also 0.4 inches below the 10 year average. Summary There always a positive and negative side to everything. The positive side is that the grapes that are out there have been enjoying the great ripening weather of September and we have not had to apply sprays for bunch rot or downy mildew. It is also good weather to perform our pre hilling of the vinifera plantings. The negative side is that we do not have our normal compliment of vinifera grapes to take advantage of this beautiful fall weather. In Wooster we are down over 200 GDD or heat units, over the 10 year average due to the wet and cool growing season in 2014 even though September was dry. Canes are maturing well and as you can see in the pictures in the phenology section. The browning of the canes or periderm formation is critical for the vine going into winter. We still have our Minnesota and French hybrids to pick in Wooster so I hope the good weather holds out a little longer. There are always many factors that come into play when you look at what makes a really good year. Light quality, temperatures-warm days and cool nights, precipitation-timing and amounts, disease, weeds and insect pressure. Every year is different and unique and we have to work within the parameters that are dealt to produce the best quality grapes and wine we can for that given year. The grapes we do have this year look great and the wines will be too.

Table 1-Most of the table is based on Wooster Weather Data with some September comparison data of other years and locations at the bottom Year Sept. Prec. In. Diff. from 10 year ave. Prec. In. Sept. Ave. Low Temp.F Diff. from 10 year ave. Low Temp.F Sept. Ave. High Temp.F Diff. from 10 year ave. High Temp.F Sept. GDD Diff. from 10 year ave. Sept. GDD *Apr.- Sept. GDD Diff. from 10 year ave. Apr.- Sept. 2014 0.8-2.06 52-0.8 75-0.1 320-75.3 2589-175.6 2013 2.9 0.04 52-0.8 74-1.1 393-2.3 2744-20.6 2012 4.9 2.04 51-1.8 73-2.1 345-50.3 2925 160.4 2011 3.9 1.04 56 3.2 73-2.1 407 11.7 2888 123.4 2010 2.8-0.06 53 0.2 75-0.1 417 21.7 3059 294.4 2009 2.6-0.26 53 0.2 73-2.1 379-16.3 2501-263.6 2008 2.9 0.04 53 0.2 78 2.9 431 35.7 2605-159.6 2007 2.2-0.66 52-0.8 79 3.9 445 49.7 2819 54.4 2006 2.9 0.04 52-0.8 71-4.1 335-60.3 2627-137.6 2005 2.7-0.16 54 1.2 80 4.9 481 85.7 2889 124.4 Wooster 10 year Ave. Sept. 2.86 52.8 75.1 395.3 *2764.6 Wooster September 1998.8 54 79 477 2870 Ashtabula September 2014 2.4 52 71 336 2259 Piketon September 2014 1.21 52 80 430 3004 Wooster September 2010 2.8 53 75 419 3059 *10 year average for Wooster April through September

OSU Grape & Wine Research & Outreach Specialist Please contact the following Research, Extension/Outreach Specialists, and Educators if you have any questions relating to their respective field of expertise. Contact Information Name & Address Phone Email & Website Dr. Mike Ellis, Professor Dept. Plant Pathology 224 Selby Hall OARDC 1680 Madison Avenue Wooster, OH 44691 330 263 3849 E mail: ellis.7@osu.edu Website: www.oardc.ohiostate.edu/fruitpathology/organic/grape/in dex Area of Expertise & Assistance Provided Grape diseases and control. Recommendation on grape fungicides Dr. Celeste Welty Dept. of Entomology Columbus, Ohio 614-292-2803 E-mail: welty.1@osu.edu Fruit and vegetable Insects Dr. Doug Doohan, Professor Dept. Horticulture & Crop Science 205 Gourley Hall OARDC 1680 Madison Avenue Wooster, OH 44691 330 202 3593 E mail: doohan.1@osu.edu Website: www.oardc.ohiostate.edu/weedworkshop/default.asp Vineyard weeds and control. Recommendation on herbicides Dr. Imed Dami, Associate Professor & Viticulture State Specialist Dept. Horticulture & Crop Science 216 Gourley Hall OARDC 1680 Madison Avenue Wooster, OH 44691 330 263 3882 E mail: dami.1@osu.edu Website: oardc.osu.edu/grapeweb/ Viticulture research and statewide extension & outreach programs. Recommendation on variety selection. Imed is the primary research contact of the viticulture program.

Contact Information Name & Address Phone Email & Website Area of Expertise& Assistance Provided David Scurlock, Viticulture Outreach Specialist 118 Gourley Hall OARDC 1680 Madison Avenue Wooster, OH 44691 330 263 3825 E mail: scurlock.2@osu.edu Website: oardc.osu.edu/grapeweb/ Evaluation of site suitability for vineyard establishment and all aspects of grape production practices in northern Ohio. David is the primary extension contact of the viticulture program Todd Steiner, Enology Program Manager & Outreach Specialist Dept. Horticulture & Crop Science 118 Gourley Hall OARDC 1680 Madison Avenue Wooster, OH 44691 330 263 3881 E mail: steiner.4@osu.edu Website: oardc.osu.edu/grapeweb/ Commercial wine production, sensory evaluation, laboratory analysis/setup and winery establishment. Todd is the primary research and extension contact of the enology program Dr. Gary Gao, Small Fruit Specialist and Associate Professor, OSU South Centers 1864 Shyville Road, Piketon, OH 45661 OSU Campus in Columbus Room 256B, Howlett Hall, 2001 Fyffe Ct Columbus, OH 43201 740-289-2071 ext.123 Fax:740-289-4591 E-mail: gao.2@cfaes.osu.edu Website: http://southcenters.osu.edu/ Viticulture Research and Outreach, VEAP visits in southern Ohio, vineyard management practices, soil fertility and plant nutrition, fruit quality improvement, variety evaluation, table and wine grape production Greg Johns, Station Manager Ashtabula Agricultural Research Station 2625 South Ridge Road Kingsville, OH 44048 440 224 0273 E mail: johns.1@osu.edu Website: www.oardc.ohiostate.edu/branches/branchinfo.asp?id=1 Winegrape production in Northeast Ohio, especially vinifera varieties

Contact Information Name & Address Phone Email & Website Area of Expertise& Assistance Provided David Marisson, County Extension Director, Associate Professor & Extension Educator, OSU Extension Ashtabula County 39 Wall Street Jefferson, Ohio 44047 440 576 9008 Ext. 106 E mail: marrison.2@osu.edu Website: ashtabula.osu.edu Vineyard and winery economics, estate planning and Extension programs in Northeast Ohio