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72 WINES&VINES September 2015 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS WINE EAST D unkirk, N.Y.–One of the features of the American Society for Enology and Viti- culture-Eastern Section's annual confer- ence is that attendees have the opportunity to spend a day visiting wineries and vineyards as well as research sites where the conference is taking place. This year the Eastern Section meeting was held July 23-25 near the eastern end of the Lake Erie grape region. This 50-mile section of shore- line today has approximately 32,000 acres of grapes, 87% of which are Concords, 8% are Niagara grapes, and 5% are wine grapes. The ASEV-ES winery and vineyard tour included six wineries in New York and Pennsylvania, the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program facil- ity in Portland, N.Y., and the Lake Erie Grape Discovery Cen- ter in Westfield, N.Y. Extension educa- tors and research fac- ulty and staff run the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program from Cornell University a n d P e n n S t a t e University. One viticultural problem being stud- ied from several dif- ferent angles is cover crops. "We used to wipe out cover crops and kill any organic matter," said Terry Bates, director of Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory. "Now agriculture is under scrutiny for water run-off, and we're look- ing for cover crops that will help restore soils." Other cover crop projects include one to help increase vigor in vines and a second to find cover crops that will compete with or reduce problem weeds in vineyards. Another project involves using soil and spa- tial sensors to develop maps of vineyards that will help determine how big and full a canopy has grown to be, all with the goal of helping growers obtain more accurate crop estimation. More than 50% of growers in the region utilize mechanized pre-pruning, and accurate vineyard mapping would help those growers understand where vines need to have more buds left to ensure a full crop—or how much to thin shoots and fruit. Other growers are adding value to their grape crop by adding a winery to their opera- tion—a solution that many growers pursued in the Finger Lakes in the 1980s, when large winer- ies either canceled grape contracts or reduced the price per ton to unsustainable levels. At the banquet held June 25, ASEV-ES pre- sented its Outstanding Achievement Award to Dr. Wayne Wilcox, professor and associate chair in the Department of Plant Pathology and Plant Microbe Biology at Cornell University's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station. Wilcox, who received his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees at the University of Cali- fornia, Davis, joined Cornell's faculty in 1984 to work with tree fruit and berry crop growers. He assumed the responsibility for leading Cor- nell's grape pathology program in 1994, and since then, his research and extension work has focused on educational programs for grapegrowers, winery owners and others on the management of infectious diseases on grapes and grapevines. In his conference presentation "Mold & Mil- dews, Spots & Rots," Wilcox reviewed the three basic principles of integrated control of major grape fungal diseases: the need to understand the biology of the pathogen, when it is active and what cultural practices favor or disrupt the pathogen; susceptibility of the host, including when the host is not susceptible as well as when any peak periods of susceptibility occur; and characteristics of the fungicide for the disease, whether it is active on the surface or is a penetrant, a protectant or an eradicant, its efficacy and persistence. According to Wilcox, the "big five" grapevine fungal diseases in New York are powdery mil- dew, downy mildew, black rot, Botrytis bunch rot and Phomopsis cane and leaf spot. He then looked at powdery mildew from the standpoint of the work he and his lab have done with that pathogen. For example, the disease was ob- served to be most severe in places with high humidity (such as near bodies of water) and also when the grapes were shaded and not exposed to sunlight. The practical implications of research work on humidity, sunlight expo- sure, UV exposure and leaf temperature were that training systems promoting light exposure should help to reduce disease pressure. The Eastern Section awarded seven student scholarships this year. Recipients included Nicholas Basinger from North Carolina State University, Claire Burtch of Cornell University, Laura Homich and Gal Kreitman, both from Pennsylvania State University, Benjamin Loseke of the University of Nebraska, Marlena Sheri- dan from Penn State University and Brigette Williams of Missouri State University. In the student paper competition, Jennifer Kelly from Brock University won the award for the best student enology paper, and Megan Hall of Cor- nell University won the award for the best student viticulture paper. The officers of Eastern Section for 2015-16 were announced at the annual business meet- ing. Stephen Menke, associate professor of enology at Colorado State University, moves to the position of chairperson; Harlene Hatter- man-Valenti, professor of plant sciences at North Dakota State University, will be chair- person-elect; and Jim Willwerth, Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute scientist at Brock University, will become treasurer. Four directors were elected: Denise Gardner of Penn State University and Chris Gerling of Cornell University were elected to two-year terms, while Gill Giese, winemaker and viticulturist at Shelton Vineyards in Dobson, N.C., and Jus- tin Scheiner of Texas A&M University were elected for one-year terms. The dates and location for next year's an- nual conference for the ASEV-Eastern Section have not yet been determined. More informa- tion will be available at asev-es.org. —Linda Jones McKee Wine East Covering Eastern North America ASEV-Eastern Section Meets by Lake Erie Tim Martinson (left) presents Wayne Wilcox with the Outstanding Achievement Award at the annual conference of ASEV-ES.