Dr. Katie Gold’s Grape Sensing, Pathology, and Extension Lab at Cornell University (GrapeSPEC) studies the fundamental and applied science of plant disease sensing to improve integrated grape and crop disease management. The Gold Lab specializes in the use of in situ and imaging spectroscopy (also known as hyperspectral imaging) deployed at a range of spatial scales, from proximal, autonomous rovers to spacecraft, to characterize disease physiology and the impacts of management intervention on early grape disease detection. Our lab and pathology vineyards are located at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, NY, in the heart of FLX wine country!
Our research focus falls along five main themes. For more on these projects please visit our research page.
- Early grape disease detection with NASA imaging spectroscopy
- Proximal and remote sensing for early grapevine downy mildew management intervention
- Plant protection sensing
- Global disease surveillance of soilborne plant pathogens
- Applied grape disease management
The Gold Lab holds the primary extension responsibilities for grape disease management in New York state. Our extension education focuses on applied grape disease management and “integrated sensor management,” or the use of new digital viticulture tools and technologies to improve on farm disease management decision making. We host large seasonal fungicide efficacy trials for multiple grape diseases within our four acres of pathology vineyards. For more information on our trials click here.
Recent Posts
- Annual Grape Disease Control Update, Spring 2022 April 26, 2022
- Gold Lab members win Cornell eLab start up pitch contest. September 15, 2021
- Fernando Romero Galvan awarded NASA FINESST Graduate Fellowship June 7, 2021
- Graham Trolley, Gold Lab undergraduate researcher, accepts summer internship at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory May 7, 2021
- Gold Lab research talk “Sensors and Disease: The GrapeSPEC Lab” now available online May 7, 2021