Anti-pesticide sentiment has never been more prevalent, as California courts and anti-agricultural organizations frighten the public with non-science based claims of the harmful effects of crop protection materials such as glyphosate.  What farmers need to understand though now, is that much more than glyphosate is currently at stake.  The legislature is now being pressured to change the whole pesticide regulatory …

With the annual Summer Conference of the California Association of Winegrape Growers came the announcement and presentation of CAWG’s Leader of the Year award, honoring Lodi wine grower Brad Goehring.  Watch this brief presentation honoring Goehring, as delivered by John Duarte of Duarte Nursery at the Awards of Excellence dinner in Sonoma.  Read more the grower leaders that make this …

Fungicide Resistance is a real issue in the grape industry in regards to powdery mildew control.  Growers need to take this seriously and be able to recognize signs of it in their vineyards; however, sometimes what may appear to be a resistance problem may actually be an issue of poor sprayer calibration/coverage.  Watch this brief video with Research Plant Pathologist …

With a shrinking and more costly labor force, grape growers are searching for new ways to mechanize their vineyard operations, and mechanized canopy management is a great opportunity for growers to look into.  Watch this brief interview with Luca Brillante from Fresno State’s Viticulture & Enology Department as he shares some very positive results of a recent study supporting greater …

Table grape growers in California are very busy right now catching up on all the major vineyard tasks that need to be done leading up to harvest due to a very wet May. Watch this brief interview with Farm Labor Contractor George Rodriguez from Grapeman Labor as he explains the situation and what’s going on right now in the vineyard. …

After many years of drought, can we possibly have too much water?  Watch this brief interview with Jeff Bitter from Allied Grape Growers as he provides an update on the 2019 wine grape crop and how the recent rainstorms might impact it.  Watch this video and read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine.

As many in the industry know, USDA’s 2018 Grape Crush Report was delayed due to the recent government shutdown.  This record breaking crop report was covered in the May issue of American Vineyard Magazine; but we also recently got some special insights on the report along with current wine market trends from Allied Grape Growers President Jeff Bitter.  So check …

As powdery mildew begins to develop resistance to our traditional fungicides, it is more important than ever that growers apply just the right products at the right times, and a new mildew spore trapping technology is now available to help growers better diagnose what’s out in the field. Watch this brief interview with Dan Rodrigues from Vina Quest and the …

Grape growers last summer experienced some pretty significant periods of hot weather that, for some, negatively impacted the health of their vines and crop yield. In the center of much of this heat, Fresno County UCCE Viticulture Advisor George Zhuang has been researching ways to reduce the impact of such temperatures which are sure to return to both the Central …

As if California grape growers didn’t have enough pest issues to deal with, UCCE Entomologist Surendra Dara reported a recent resurgence of the Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer in California.  Watch this brief interview with Dara, as he shares where the pest is resurfacing and how growers can manage it both conventionally and organically.  Read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine. …