Duration: 10/01/2008 to 09/30/2012

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Statement of Issues and Justification

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The grape and wine industry has provided substantial financial support for various SERA 14 programs.

The URL of the Groups website is http://sera-ieg-14.tamu.edu/ . The website provides participants the ability to share information and more importantly provides a mechanism to widely disseminate research results and information to all stakeholders. The increased visibility of the Groups activities allows recognition of the value of those activities to our stakeholders.

Technology Transfer continues in regional IPM programs, mechanization, harvesting/handling and enology. Regular contributions are made by participants to industry group newsletters.

Topics of publications have included "Starting a Wine Business," production guides from several states, cultivar evaluations, pest control guides, production budgets for grapes and wine, and several publications focusing on Muscadines in the previous topic areas and including one on value-added products. As an example, in addition to being available in many libraries and online, "The Muscadine Experience" has been distributed at grower meetings in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri and Arkansas.

Research publications included in our Proceedings and Annual Reports number about 30 each year.

SERA 14 researchers and Extension specialists participated in the finalization of national research priorities by the National Grape and Wine Initiative.

A three-year cooperative project of Missouri and Arkansas concerned with vineyard best management practices continues. Plots were set out in three lighthouse vineyards in each state to demonstrate the effects of specific practices, and data is collected from each. Monthly tailgate meetings are held at these lighthouse vineyards throughout the season. These meetings emphasize the management practices occurring at that time, especially pest management practices. This tailgate BMP program has been very well received by growers.

Pruning, shoot thinning, and fruit thinning are three labor intensive operations that can be mechanized within the Morris-Oldridge Vineyard Mechanization System (M-O System) that has been commercially implemented in New York, Washington, California, Missouri and Arkansas. Research studies continue to be conducted at a large California Central Coast vineyard operation to validate its effectiveness. Data from these studies have been used to develop budgets to estimate the economic impacts of mechanizing these operations. Cost savings with vineyard mechanization are economically significant and range from roughly $260/acre to nearly $600/acre (depending on the trellising system used) while maintaining  or improving  fruit quality. The M-O System offers the highly competitive grape and wine industry a functional tool that provides sustainability, predictability, and high quality grapes.

While mechanical harvesting has been done for a number of years, until the development of the M-O System, no system had been commercially available that detailed the appropriate machine to use at the proper time to accomplish total mechanization. This includes mechanization of dormant pruning, shoot/cluster thinning, fruit thinning, leaf removal, canopy separation, and summer pruning as well as mechanization of harvesting. Dormant pruning by hand is a time-consuming, labor-intensive process used to achieve the desired balance of fruit yield and quality with bud development control the following year. Mechanical pruning is not the only answer to balancing a crop, but rather clears the way to fine tune the crop level with mechanical shoot and, if needed, mechanical fruit thinning. We have called this approach to balancing the vine balanced cropping by mechanization. In unpublished studies over six years, using the M-O System concept, it was found that mechanical shoot thinning or mechanical fruit thinning eliminated the problem of too heavy a crop and allowed crop adjustment to be made after potential frost and fruit-set problems. Balancing the crop with the M-O System and machines annually produced an average of 26% more fruit than the hand-balancing method. This aspect of the M-O System, the ability to produce consistent annual yields, may have equal or greater economic impact than the labor-saving aspect.

Researchers at the University of Florida have identified a novel peptide with antimicrobial activity that is very effective in preventing colonization and growth of X. fastidiosa. The X. fastidiosa bacterium causes Pierce's Disease and is spread by specific insect vectors. The bacterium lives exclusively in the water vessels of a wide variety of plants, but the strain that lives in grapevines clogs these vessels, causing leaf loss and eventual death of the vine. Susceptible (Vitis vinifera) varieties of grape that express the gene for the novel peptide are resistant to Pierces Disease, even after multiple exposures to the bacteria.

A new Pierce's Disease research facility was opened in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Work continues on the Pierce's Disease program funded by APHIS. A quarterly newsletter is produced and a best management practices bulletin is available. The URL of the program's website is http://pd.tamu.edu .

Considerable interest among growers and wineries regarding the nutraceutical and antioxidant capacity of muscadines has resulted in the sharing of research information and cooperative research in both vineyards and wineries.

An Arkansas Wine Trail website is being developed to provide increased visibility for Arkansas wineries as destinations on vacation travels within the State. Many new wineries in the region are as much tourist destinations as producers of wine for extensive distribution. This wine trail website can be used as a model for development in every state.

A multi-state project funded by the USDAs Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS) program provided research and training to assist small- and medium-sized farmers in the states in becoming more profitable and therefore to add stability to the family farm. The most important approach used in this project was to help identify alternatives to traditional farming operations, including identification of alternative crops and methods for adding value to new or existing crops.

The Nesbitt Award was established to honor a professionals career for significant research and/or Extension contributions to the grape industry in the Southern Region. The Award is named in honor of William Belton Nesbitt, who served on the faculty of the Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, from 1966 until 1983. Dr. Nesbitt was extremely dedicated to his breeding work, research and furthering agricultural advantages for growers in North Carolina and throughout the Southern Region. His grape breeding efforts produced numerous Vitis rotundifolia (Muscadine) cultivars, including Noble, Carlos, Dixie, Sterling, Regale and Doreen.

Winners of the Nesbitt Award have been Mr. Jeff Bloodworth, Private Grape Breeder, Hillsborough, NC, 2001; Dr. Justin Morris, Distinguished Professor, University of Arkansas, 2003; Dr. George Ray McEachern, Professor and Extension Horticulturist (retired), Texas A&M University, 2004; Dr. Keith Striegler, Director and Viticulture Program Leader, Institute for Continental Climate Viticulture and Enology, 2005; and Dr. Bob Bates, Professor Emeritus, University of Florida 2007.

ISSUES AND JUSTIFICATION
The Southern grape and wine industry has been well served by the Southern Regional research and Extension scientists. An e-mail survey indicates that the participants overwhelmingly wish to continue their SERA 14 reportable collaborations and activities.

A few of the suggestions submitted by members:

1) I have enjoyed the meetings, the valuable opportunities to network with other researchers and Extension Specialists in the Southeast.

2) I highly value the eye to eye communication and the learning from the group's expertise in the field.

3) The extremely valuable insights gained by the personal contacts and local winery and vineyard visits is well worth the time and travel.

4) Getting together at the active sites and interacting with participants is most valuable.

5) While a newcomer to the group, the tours and the social time were key in seeing and sharing information.

6) The annual meeting is a great way to observe and keep up with the status of industry in the South.
7) No other group or meeting is working to address the challenges of Southern viticulture and enology. We have a unique situation compared to the rest of the country in that we are growing and making wines from the entire range of Vitis, from muscadines to viniferas and everything in between. In particular, there is no other group of which I am aware addressing the needs and challenges or supporting the growth of the muscadine industry. I would hate to see this group cease its activities.
8) For the past three years a Viticulture and Enology Extension Leadership Conference has been conducted under the auspices of the NGWI (q.v.) Extension and Outreach Education Committee. It was originally intended to help identify national priorities and to pursue collaborative projects. What we have discovered is that the most valuable aspect of the meeting is the opportunity it provides for informal discussion and interchange with folks around the country holding similar responsibilities. We would like to have this meeting evolve into a formal working group along the lines of SERA 14. However, my concern is that by "going national" we would obviously lose the SERA focus on southern viticulture and enology. The opportunity to visit with my colleagues in the south and to discuss the unique challenges for grape and wine production is vital.

The National Grape and Wine Initiative (NGWI) is a nationwide coalition representing all segments of the grape industry including: raisin, juice, fresh grape and wine. NGWI membership includes grape growers, processors, wineries and representatives of
USDA, academic institutions and cooperative Extension organizations committed to improving the industry. NGWI gains strength by building upon the expertise and experience inherent in each of the groups from which its members are drawn. Its vision is to enable the United States grape and wine industry to be the world leader in consumer value and sustainability and contribute to the quality of life in rural communities.

Research, Extension and education are fundamental aspects of the NGWI mission. The priorities are organized into five key theme areas, and these theme areas are consistent with our SERA 14 Objectives. The first of these, Understanding and Improving Quality, concentrates on research to assist industry in growing, harvesting and producing the highest quality grapes and grape products. The current focus is on modern analytical methods that identify quality and sensory attributes in wine and other grape products and to understand mechanisms that control these components. Consumer Insights, Nutrition and Community concentrates on research to explore the health benefits of grapes and grape products. The current focus is on compiling all known nutritional research and developing strategies to produce a major study on health attributes of grapes and grape products. In addition, existing research that promotes the health benefits of grapes and grape products must be effectively communicated. Processing and Production Efficiency concentrates on research to enhance existing technologies for improved vineyard and production systems that are cost effective and efficient. The current focus is on vineyard design; trellis and training systems; mechanization; crop load and canopy management; yield estimation; irrigation and fertilization requirements, and seeking improvements in HAACP management tools for processing facilities. Sustainable Practices concentrates on research to improve farming and processing practices that are environmentally-friendly and sustainable. The current focus is on enhanced systems for managing waste streams and run-off from both vineyards and processing facilities. Improvements in energy conservation, integrated pest and pathogen management and maximization of productivity with respect to financial and human resources are also important. . Extension/Education concentrates on ensuring industry members are aware of and have access to findings from grape and grape products research. The current focus is on assembling and expanding the collection of existing educational materials on viticulture, winemaking and grape processing. Work also seeks to facilitate adoption of best management practices in a number of areas and on expanding communications tools to improve access to research for industry members.

We wish to continue with our old roadmap that has served the Southern grape and wine industry over the past fifteen years, a period of time that has seen substantial growth. That continued growth in the grape and wine industry throughout the South has resulted in increased interest and participation in SERA 14. In our 2003 proposal for renewal, the number of wineries in the Southern Region was 188; according to the 2007 Wines and Vines Directory, the number of wineries now numbers 424, as follows: AL 7; AR 7; FL 30; GA 21; KY 22; LA 7; MS 2; NC 59; OK 34; SC 7; TN 25; TX 99; and VA 104. In addition to the production of grapes and value-added products, the establishment of new wineries has been recognized as an important contributor to new tourism interest in many states of the region.

Residents of several Southern states have a strong tradition of making a living from a well-tended, sustainable, small farm. In many states, tobacco has historically been the main crop. In many cases, this acreage is now being planted in grapes. SERA 14 participants help to sustain this agrarian tradition, with its strong work ethic and excellent agricultural land and climate, to enhance the potential for the continued economic well-being of these small farmers.

While good and valuable research can and is being done individually in each of the states, it is important for researchers and Extension personnel to cooperate to share ideas, findings and mechanisms for efficient and effective information and technology transfer. Colleagues are an important and constructively critical sounding board for each other. This Group is an efficacious vehicle for such interaction.

The stakeholders include the participants, their member institutions, grape growers and wine makers in the Southern Region, producers of value-added products in the region, tourists in the region, and all of the consumers of the region.

Objectives

Procedures and Activities

It is anticipated that cooperative and individual efforts will continue, building on the successes of the past.

The Groups website http://sera-ieg-14.tamu.edu/ is maintained by Ed Hellman (Texas A&M and Texas Tech). It will be updated semiannually, and as needed otherwise. The Internet is a powerful tool for exchange of information among the participants, and the website will provide a mechanism to widely disseminate research results and information to stakeholders.

The group will continue to meet on an annual basis in the Fall at rotating locations. The 2008 meeting is being planned for Georgia. Several wineries in northeastern Georgia have invited the Group to hold its annual meeting in the area to incorporate tours of their vineyards and winery operations. The meeting plans are being coordinated by Dave Lockwood who has some responsibilities with these wineries. In the recent past, excellent attendance has been achieved while holding a separate meeting, but this experience does not preclude future meetings held in conjunction with another group (usually a state or regional growers meeting).

Funding opportunities do exist for the Groups activities. In fact, currently ongoing cooperative projects among Southern states funded by the USDA includes research integral to the Groups objectives. The new Specialty Crop Initiative means increased funding opportunities. As its activities become more extensive, as well as more intensive, the opportunity for funding from interested industry players become greater.

Expected Outcomes and Impacts

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Educational Plan

Organization/Governance

Literature Cited

Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

AL, GA, MD, NC, NY, TX

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

NIFA, Surry County Community College