Grapevine cold hardiness research and strategies to mitigate freeze - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Grapevine cold hardiness research and strategies to mitigate freeze injury in Ontario Jim Willwerth, PhD CCOVI, Brock University July 20 th 2015

Overview CCOVI has been actively involved with research and outreach • initiatives concerning grapevine cold hardiness since 2010 Research program for optimizing cold hardiness – crop level, • water stress, disease, timing of harvest etc. Funding through AAFC - Developing Innovative Agri-Products • initiative (DIAP), Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation’s (MEDI) Ontario Research Fund (ORF). Collaboration between AAFC, MEDI, GGO, OGWRI and CCOVI • Ontario Grape & Wine Network: Multiple Universities (Brock, • Guelph), Colleges (Niagara College) and Research Centres (Vineland Research Innovation Centre) Many industry partners including growers, wineries and • consultants

Cold hardiness program in Ontario • Establish strategies to mitigate winter injury • Research & Outreach components • Create outreach programs to help mitigate freeze damage in vines • Research to understand how to optimize cold tolerance in V . vinifera for Ontario’s climate • Cultural practices, water status, disease, plant selection

Changing climate

Cold ¡Hardiness: ¡Dynamic ¡condi;on ¡ (CCOVI ¡VineAlert ¡Website) ¡ ¡

Crop level x harvest date studies

Rationale: Wine styles • Crop levels are adjusted but can still be quite heavy especially for Icewine production or “Plateau-priced” grapes • Harvest dates range from end of August until November depending on variety and wine style • Do heavier crops or later harvests delay cold acclimation or reduce cold tolerance?

Crop level x harvest date studies (2011-2015) • Studying the impact of Crop level x harvest date S. blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, P. noir, Merlot, C franc • • 2 cropping levels • 2 clusters/shoot; target 40 clusters/vine (full) • 1 cluster/shoot; target 20 clusters/vine (half) • 2 harvest dates • Commercial harvest (> VQA min) • 3 weeks after 1 st harvest

Impact of Crop level and harvest date Sauvignon blanc: Acclimation (2011) 0.00 ¡ 20-­‑Sep-­‑11 ¡ 20-­‑Oct-­‑11 ¡ 20-­‑Nov-­‑11 ¡ 20-­‑Dec-­‑11 ¡ 20-­‑Jan-­‑12 ¡ -­‑5.00 ¡ 1/2 ¡crop ¡-­‑ ¡late ¡ 1/2 ¡crop ¡-­‑ ¡standard ¡ LTE50 ¡(°C) ¡ -­‑10.00 ¡ full ¡crop ¡-­‑late ¡ full ¡crop ¡-­‑standard ¡ -­‑15.00 ¡ Harvest ¡1 ¡ Harvest ¡ 2 ¡ -­‑20.00 ¡ -­‑25.00 ¡ Date ¡

PINOT NOIR LTE 50 – 2012/13 ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ Impact ¡of ¡crop ¡level ¡and ¡;ming ¡of ¡harvest ¡on ¡cold ¡hardiness ¡dynamics ¡of ¡Pinot ¡noir ¡2012/13. ¡Vineland, ¡ON. ¡ ¡ *, ¡** ¡Indicate ¡significance ¡ @ ¡p<0.05, ¡p<0.01, ¡respec7vely . ¡ ¡

RIESLING LTE50 – 2012/13 Impact ¡of ¡crop ¡level ¡and ¡;ming ¡of ¡harvest ¡on ¡cold ¡hardiness ¡dynamics ¡of ¡Riesling ¡2012/13. ¡Vineland, ¡ ON. ¡ ¡ *, ¡** ¡Indicate ¡significance ¡@ ¡p<0.05, ¡p<0.001, ¡respec7vely ¡ ¡

MERLOT (spring 2014) Light crop with earlier harvest

MERLOT (spring 2014) Heavier crop with late harvest

General findings • In better vintages (long growing season, warmer and drier falls) less of impact of crop level or harvest date on all varieties • In poorer years (later, cooler and wetter) lack of crop adjustment can reduce hardiness • General response to crop level from 3+years of data • (Most responsive) Pinot noir > Merlot > S. blanc > C. franc > Chardonnay > Riesling (least responsive) • Ontario growers need to be mindful of “lower tier” blocks that may have much higher yields • Good fruit maturity = good hardiness

Protection strategies – wind machines • Following winters of 2002/03 and 2004/05 grape producers invested heavily on wind machines to protect their vineyards • Research done to determine effectiveness and proper use • Very successful and do work under proper conditions

Current state of Ontario vineyards • Many different varieties grown (>32) • Diverse growing regions • More sensitive varieties being grown • Increased plantings on ‘marginal sites’ • More dependency on protection • Market drives what is largely being planted • International V. vinifera cultivars (Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet franc, Merlot, Sauvignon blanc, Pinot, Syrah)

Problems with using Wind machines CONCERNS • Problems with noise • PR problems solved using data and working with organizations • WHEN to use them to avoid recreational use • Associated noise complaints & costs to run machines • Costs $30-40K and $40-60/hr to run

VineAlert http://www.ccovi.ca/vine-alert • Our advanced cold hardiness database and alerting system during periods of risk • Stores, displays, disseminates all information related to grapevine cold hardiness and injury

Custom display of cold hardiness

VineAlert stores multiple years of bud hardiness information

VineAlert indicating possible winter injury from cold weather events jjjjjjjjjjjjjj jjjjjjjjjjjjjj jjjjjjjjjjjjjj jjjjjjjjjjjjjj jjjjjjjjjjjjjj jjjjjjjjjjjjjj jjjjjjjjjjjjjj jjjjjjjjjjjjjj jjjjjjjjjjjjjj j ¡

VineAlert: Bud survival Tracking survival rates after cold events

Notification of new data

Protecting vines only when needed

Cold hardiness 2012 vs 2014

How has VineAlert helped Ontario? • Saved crops in many winters at different times of the dormancy • $13.8 Million in first year and $11.7 Million in subsequent years! • Reduced wind machine usage • Over $1 Million/year in savings! • Saved growers from renewing or replacing vines • $29.1 Million over 5 years in savings! Improved farmer/neighbour relations • Helped educate community and government • about freeze risks and protection

Historical ‘cold years’ in Ontario (02/03, 04/05) 25 ¡ 20 ¡ Min ¡(2002-­‑03) ¡ Min ¡(2004-­‑05) ¡ 15 ¡ 10 ¡ 5 ¡ 0 ¡ -­‑5 ¡ -­‑10 ¡ -­‑15 ¡ -­‑20 ¡ -­‑25 ¡

Tough winters in Ontario! (last 2 years) 20 ¡ Min ¡(2013-­‑14) ¡ Min ¡(2014-­‑15) ¡ 15 ¡ 10 ¡ 5 ¡ 0 ¡ -­‑5 ¡ -­‑10 ¡ -­‑15 ¡ -­‑20 ¡ -­‑25 ¡ -­‑30 ¡

Tonnage and Sales (1999-2014) (Economic analysis of VineAlert, Goodman School of Business, 2014)

New and emerging grape growing regions: Use of Geotextiles for winter protection • Geotextiles are materials used for winter protection of crops but have diverse applications across many industries • Used in Quebec vineyards • Interest in Ontario where they currently bury vines • Why? • Vinifera need protection in some areas • Concern about moving soils • Concern about damaging buds • Bud rot/loss • POOR YIELDS • Last few winters!

Conclusions • Many factors can impact hardiness • Vineyard practices can impact acclimation for a wide range of varieties • Growing season and dormant period conditions can have a large impact on vine response • Research, innovation and technology transfer is key to mitigate freeze injury • Weather may be unpredictable so we need to be prepared in order to avoid potentially catastrophic losses

Acknowledgements ¡ ¡ All ¡industry ¡partners ¡and ¡grower ¡& ¡winery ¡ cooperators ¡ ¡ ¡