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January 2018 WINES&VINES 71 VINTAGE 2017 Frontenac, varieties that are particularly suscep- tible. There were no reports of sour rot complex due to the dry conditions in late summer and fall. That was a welcome relief from normal. Demand continued to be stronger than supply, leading to good prices for locally grown fruit. There is a need for more vineyard acres across much of the Midwest. Labor availability continues to be a concern for both winery and vineyard operations. Herbicide drift was a major concern this year with the launch of new dicamba-tolerant soybeans and widespread use of dicamba during the grow- ing season. Fortunately, few incidences of di- camba drift to grapes were observed during the season. However, drift from early season applica- tions of growth regulator herbicides (dicamba and 2,4-D) continued to be a major concern for all specialty crop growers in the Midwest. Every year that wet field conditions delay row crop planting, drift becomes a major problem. The re- cord number of complaints fielded by the state chemist this year indicated the problem is not being addressed through education alone. IOWA Michael L. White Viticulture specialist Iowa State University Extension The Iowa grape crop was of above-average quantity and quality this season. Much of the state experienced a moderate to severe drought that greatly reduced fungus disease pressure. The well-rooted grapes still produced a good yield under these drought conditions. Approximately two-thirds of the state experienced a moderate to severe drought. The drought com- bined with increased growing degree-days initi- ated the grape harvest the first week of August, approximately 10 days ahead of normal. Areas in the Northeast corner of Iowa received above-nor- mal rainfall and some hail, causing higher disease pressure and lower yields. The southwest two-thirds of the state had be- low-normal disease pressure due to low rain- fall. The northeast corner of the state showed a high incidence of disease pressure to above- average rainfall. Cold-climate grapes have been slowly trending upward. The range of prices for grapes delivered to the winery is $1,000 to $1,600 per ton, with the majority in the $1,200 to $1,400 per-ton range. There are currently eight mechanical grape har- vesters in Iowa. During the past two years, three of these harvesters were used to do some custom work for other vineyards. The 2015 Worker Protec- tion Standard requiring pesticide safety training for pickers has created a situation where more me- chanical harvesters will likely be operating in 2018. Getting enough pickers for harvest still remains the No. 1 hurdle for vineyard operators. Finding enough pruning help would be the second most-common hurdle. The use of more me- chanical vineyard equipment will dramatically increase in the near future. The Japanese beetle population was the highest Iowa has ever seen. The majority of vineyards in Iowa applied multiple insecticide applications for this pest during the summer. MICHIGAN Leelanau Peninsula AVA, Old Mission Peninsula AVA and Tip of the Mitt AVA Thomas Todaro Viticulture extension specialist Michigan State University Extension Agriculture and Agribusiness Institute