Wine grape and commercial grape juice growers can learn how to increase their production management skills and how to manage grape vines after winter injury during a workshop and winery tour Aug. 27 presented by horticulture and viticulture experts with the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University.
The program will feature a tour of three wineries and a look a how the grape industry is recovering from multiple severe winter injury events in 2014 and 2015, said David Marrison, an Ohio State University Extension educator.
“Many growers across the region are still recovering from the frigid temperatures experienced in the region last two winters, which destroyed a majority of popular wine grape crops grown in the Buckeye state,” he said.
The program will be hosted by OSU Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, which are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of the college.
The program will be beneficial for growers across the region who are still dealing with winter damage after-effects, said Imed Dami, a CFAES associate professor and state viticulturist. Dami will be on hand during the workshop to discuss management strategies.
According to a 2014 statewide survey of 63 grape producers representing 838 acres, growers reported 97 percent losses of vinifera (European) grape varieties; an average crop loss of 57 percent of hybrid grape varieties such as Vidal Blanc, Chambourcin and Traminette; and losses estimated at 29 percent of cold-hardy American grape varieties such as Concord and Catawba, according to Dami.
The program will include:
- A stop at Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, 5585 State Route 307, in Harpersfield. This portion of the program will feature a presentation on how the Ohio grape industry is adapting to winter injury concerns and a presentation on the winery’s hilling and dehilling practices. Participants will also learn about retraining trials that are being conducted at the vineyard by OSU Extension, as well different strategies for retraining trunks.
- A stop at M Cellars, 6193 South River Road, in Harpersfield. Participants will hear how M Cellars changed its winter protection strategies for vine protection through the practice of burying canes, which helped the grapes survive the 2015 winter.
- A picnic dinner at Kosicek Vineyards, 636 State Route 534, in Harpersfield from 5:30 to 6 p.m. The cost of the dinner is $5. The deadline to register for the dinner is Aug. 20 by calling the Ashtabula County Extension office at 440-576-9008.
- A session on Preparing and Calibrating Air Blast Sprayers from 6 to 8 p.m. at Kosicek Vineyards. The session will include a presentation on air blast sprayer calibration and will update growers on optimizing spray coverage for better control of pests and diseases; how to use water sensitive paper strips; and enhanced coverage and drift reduction through recent nozzle advancements. Two hours of Commercial and Private CORE Pesticide Applicator Credits will be offered for attendees.