Looking into new table grape cultivars to plant? Valley Pearl is a relatively new variety developed by the USDA-ARS and is commercially grown in the San Joaquin Valley and Southern desert regions of California.  Watch this brief interview with UCCE Viticulture Farm Advisor Carmen Gispert as she explains some of the strengths and challenges of this cultivar, and read more …

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. …

Nematodes are are pests of a host of crops, but what are the options for controlling them in vineyards?  Watch this brief video interview with UC Cooperative Extension Viticulture Advisor Karl Lund as he shares both pre and post-planting options for managing nematodes.  Some of these options are even compatible for organic growers, so check it out, and read more …

Good news for the grape industry. Growers now have access to more nematode resistant rootstocks than ever before. UCCE Viticulture Farm Advisor Karl Lund recently talked about the characteristics and availability of these rootstocks at Malcolm Media’s Tree & Vine Expo in Turlock, CA. Watch his brief interview and read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine.