Objective 2: Develop and extend research-based vineyard management practices that allow sustained production of high quality fruit from cold climate cultivars.
Cold hardy grape cultivars, such as those developed at the University of Minnesota (e.g., Frontenac, Marquette, and La Crescent) and the ‘Swenson’ hybrids developed by private breeders (e.g., Brianna, St. Croix, and Petite Pearl) derive their cold-hardiness genes from Vitis riparia, a wild grape species native to North America, which have been combined through breeding with other Vitis spp, notably V. vinifera and V. labrusca.
Because of their unique genetic composition, they have different growth habits and fruit composition than classic V. vinifera wine cultivars. Notably:
- Many have drooping or procumbent shoots, and tend to develop more lateral shoots than standard V. vinifera cultivars.
- Many tend to retain high titratable acidity and have high soluble solids at maturity.
- The acid composition is different from vinifera cultivars; cold-climate cultivars have a higher proportion of malic acid and lower proportion of tartaric acid than V. vinifera cultivars.
- Mineral nutrition standards may differ from V. vinifera cultivars.
- Their susceptibility to diseases and insects (notably foliar phylloxera) and sensitivity to fungicides differs from standard V. vinifera cultivars.
While existing production guides provide a good starting point for guiding vineyard management, the unique characteristics of the cold-hardy cultivars dictate a different approach. The Northern Grapes Project established research trials aimed at developing production guidelines tailored to these attributes.
Questions addressed through these trials were:
- What training systems are best adapted to the characteristics of these varieties?
- What additional canopy management and crop load management practices will improve yield or quality?
- Do these cultivars have unique mineral nutrition needs?
- What level of disease and insect resistance or susceptibility do these cultivars have in different environments, and how should this influence management programs?
- Are theses cultivars sensitive to common fungicides?
- What are the costs and benefits associated with these practices?
A Top Wire Cordon-trained Frontenac vine at Coyote Moon Vineyards in Clayton, New York.
Resources
- Vineyard Floor Management, Justine Vanden Heuvel and Harlene Hatterman-Valenti PDF of slides
- Trellis Design and Construction and Pruning Fundamentals Prior to Your First Cut, Steve Lerch, Cornell University and Mike White, Iowa State University PDF of slides
The following vineyard management studies sub-pages provide summaries of the experiments, as well as links to detailed reports for each study:
- Training systems
- Canopy and crop load management
- Mineral nutrition
- Disease susceptibility and fungicide sensitivity
For information on conclusions on vineyard practices, please see:
- Vineyard Practices: Insights from the 2012 and 2016 Northern Grapes Surveys by Tim Martinson, NYS Agricultural Experiment Station and Cornell University, Northern Grapes News Vol 5 Issue 4, December 2016. Pgs. 4-7.