Summary History

For nearly a century, Cornell University has conducted research and extension programs related to grape production in the Lake Erie region of New York. The Vineyard Laboratory was originally established in 1909 and moved to its present 30-acre location in Fredonia in 1961. In 1993, area grape processors formed the Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Program, Inc. (LERGREP), whose mission was to fund research and extension activities conducted by Cornell and Penn State in North East, PA and Fredonia, NY. LERGREP is not to be confused with LERGP, the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program, which consists of Extension Educators and faculty/staff from Cornell and Penn State.

In 2005, citing growing development pressure, traffic congestion, and rising real estate values, Cornell, with support from the LERGREP,made the strategic decision to sell the property in Fredonia, reinvest sale proceeds in future operations, move to a new site, and construct a new laboratory.

With leadership from New York State Senator Catharine Young and Assemblyman Bill Parment, the state legislature appropriated nearly $5.5 million in the 2006-07 state budget to make the new Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory (CLEREL) a reality.

After a careful selection process involving grape industry leaders, scientists and extension specialists, Cornell purchased the 53-acre Deakin Farm in Portland, NY in December 2006 as the site for the new lab. The new field research farm is approximately 12 miles east of the Fredonia Vineyard Lab, in the heart of Lake Erie grape country.

Mission and Vision

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) are committed to meeting the research and extension needs of the region at the new facility in Portland. That team includes newly appointed CLEREL Director Terry Bates, grape extension area educator Tim Weigle, extension associates, research support staff, and seasonal employees. The team also includes scientists from Cornell, Penn State and the USDA who conduct diverse research projects in the region, and are equally committed to long-term, collaborative relationships with enology and viticulture colleagues throughout New York.

Scientists and extension professionals at the new facility will deliver on the university’s commitment to the grape and wine industry in western New York by developing and testing high-value products and introducing innovative, profitable production practices that will allow grape growers, processors and winery owners to succeed and the regional economy to prosper over the decades to come.

Impact

Research and extension efforts conducted at Cornell’s Fredonia Vineyard Laboratory have been aimed primarily at increasing yields, improving quality, and lowering production costs of grapes grown in the Lake Erie Region, especially the cultivars Concord and Niagara. Some of the impacts are noted here.

A mechanized sustainable grape management system that includes mechanized pruning, crop estimation, and crop thinning when necessary, has been developed. This system was designed to improve yields, while maintaining the high quality necessary for juice processing and wine making. It is estimated that 40% of New York’s Concord grape acreage was crop adjusted in 2003 enabling most of these grapes to reach industry maturity standards and increase farm income about $1.2 million.

The Geneva Double Curtain (GDC) training system was developed and has been adopted by grape growers around the world.

In a collaborative effort, Cornell researchers and innovative grape growers developed a mechanical grape harvester in the 1960s.

Recent improvements in Concord grape production, which amount to an average increase of one-half ton per acre every six years, are primarily driven by Cornell viticulture research. This increased tonnage per acre amounts to an added farm gate value of $2.5 million.

Recent advancements by pest managers involving weed, disease, and insect control have resulted in an annual savings in production costs of approximately $50 per acre and allowed producers to meet increasing environmental challenges. On the 20,000 acres of Concord vineyards, this amounts to an annual savings of $1 million.

Viticulturists have determined that irrigation has strong positive effects on new Niagara vines leading to better early vineyard growth (increasing average vine pruning weights by 0.6 lbs/vine), larger initial crops and less variable cropping in young vines. Over the first six crops, irrigated vines averaged more than 2 tons/ acre more yearly than non-irrigated.

Horticulturists who study fine root growth and function in Concord grapevines have shown that: 1) fine roots develop between budbreak and veraison; 2) they lose function rapidly having only a few weeks of efficiency; 3) dry soil inhibits the production of new roots, but not how long they live; 4) there are surprisingly few roots under mature vines; 5) yield adjusted at 30 days after bloom has shown little effect on fine root production; and 6) in a good site, minimal pruning did not appear to show expected debilitation of the root system over time even with higher yields.

Using the LIPCO tunnel sprayer, agricultural engineers monitored the quantity of spray required by the developing vine canopy as the season progressed. This research saved growers money and reduced the use of pesticide in the region.

Cornell agricultural engineers designed a spray deflector that has resulted in 30% better deposition within the grape canopy and reduced pesticide drift.

Agricultural engineers compared grape harvester design and evaluated crop losses at harvest, thereby determining that modern designs lose up to 10% less juice/grapes than traditionally designed harvesters.

Entomologists developed and validated Grape Berry Moth Risk Assessment protocols, in part, at the Vineyard Laboratory. They have been widely adopted by New York grape growers and resulted in a 60% reduction in insecticide sprays without an increase in damage thereby resulting in significant economic savings of approximately $900,000 per year and reduced environmental impacts.

Entomologists also determined that feeding by relatively few immature plant bugs on grape flower buds could result in significant economic losses. Growers were mostly unaware of the threat prior to this research. An economic threshold of 1 nymph per ten shoots was established along with monitoring protocols to assist growers in deciding whether control measures are economically justifiable.

Plant pathologists have focused numerous projects on improving the management of major fungal diseases. Outcomes include identifying minimal spray programs to avoid economic losses from phomopsis, powdery mildew, and black rot. They have documented specific attributes of disease management products available to grape growers.

Cornell scientists cooperated on several mineral nutrient studies. They determined the amount of nitrogen mature cultivated grapevines require and the seasonal nitrogen uptake. Now it is possible to tailor nitrogen fertilizer recommendations to reflect individual vineyard soil conditions and production goals. In most cases, these recommendations decrease nitrogen fertilizer inputs by at least 50%. Research on soil pH has improved the natural availability of nutrients such as potassium and magnesium to the point where no additional fertilizer inputs are needed. Soil pH recommendations have also been tailored based on grapevine variety and soil nutrient balance. Most New York vineyards are located near water sources (Lake Erie, the Finger Lakes, the Hudson River, Long Island Sound) and the reduction in fertilizer inputs helps protect these natural resources.

Future

With the new laboratory in western New York, and an expanded enology and viticulture program in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, we are beginning a second century of commitment to grape growers and processors, wine makers and economic development in the Lake Erie region.

Researchers and extension associates will continue to forge collaborative partnerships with the grape and wine industries in New York. The Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory in Portland will provide expanded field research, modernized laboratory space for research on juice and wine quality, additional office space for research and extension staff and visiting scientists, and meeting space for grower education and training.

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Contact

Terry Bates, Director
The Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory
6592 West Main Road
Portland, New York 14769
Phone: 716-792-2800
Cell: 716-680-3967
Fax: 716-792-2805
Rnail: trb7@cornell.edu