A key component to the success of the agriculture industry is efficiency through innovation. For Austin Hubbell, ranch manager for Marthedal Enterprises, ag partnerships are a key to innovation. Growers …
MSOB: Industry Effort to Increase Availability and Adoption of Biologicals
Industry members are working to bring more biologicals to the market at a quicker pace through increasing on-farm trials. Executive Chair and Cofounder of the Invasive Species Corporation, Pam Marrone …
MSOB: Understanding Beneficial Habitat for Biological Control in Vineyards
Overall habitat can play a critical role in supporting biological control in vineyards. In a multi-year project looking at habitat diversification, Cooperative Extension Specialist with the Department of Entomology at …
Agronomic Minute: ‘Wild Ride’ for Grape Growers in 2022
California grape growers faced a variety of challenges in 2022. Technical Services Manager for UPL North America, Katie Driver described the year as being a “wild ride” for agriculture. A …
Recent Rain System Could Be Problematic for Raisin Grapes
Many growers were thankful that California received some much-needed rain. However, the early-season storm system that came through could create issues for raisin grapes. Technical Viticulturist for Sun-Maid Growers, Steve …
Keeping A Close Eye on Crops After Unseasonal Rainfall
Unusual weather brought thunderstorms and unseasonal rainfall to multiple areas of California last week. Nearly an inch and a half of rain resulted in substantial flooding in Death Valley. Some …
Agronomic Minute: Staying Ahead of Mite Populations in Vineyards
With temperatures rising, growers are encouraged to stay on the lookout for mite populations growing in vineyards. Mites can quickly become an issue with females laying up to 200 eggs …
Agronomic Minute: Keeping Vineyards Free of Botrytis Issues
Growers are consistently dealing with botrytis issues in their vineyards on a yearly basis. While the disease is most prevalent in cooler growing regions, it can be an issue for …
No Surprises in Grape Crush, But Report Highlights Future Considerations
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Final Grape Crush Report for 2021 demonstrated an increase of 9.2 percent from 2020. “We weren’t overly surprised by what we saw,” …
Agronomic Minute: Wet Weather Creates Ideal Conditions for Grape Diseases
California started 2022 off with much-needed rain events, which could ultimately lead to higher levels of grape diseases. UPL Technical Service Manager, Emily Smith explained that last year’s dry conditions …
Reducing Irrigation Achieves Same Quality and Yield in Winegrape Research
New winegrape research looking at irrigation levels has produced some positive results for growers in coastal areas of California. Lead author of a research paper that was recently published, Kaan …
Preliminary Grape Crush Down Nearly 14 Percent from 2019
The Preliminary Grape Crush Report for 2020 was recently released and shows a decline of nearly 14 percent from the year prior. Figures show that a total of 3,542,038 tons …
Innovation Accelerator for the Wine Industry Coming to Sonoma County
Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW) is establishing a new innovation accelerator to help the wine industry meet new challenges. The effort is known as Sonoma VITS (Vineyard Innovation Through Science). It …
Smoke Exposure Testing Limitations Could Be Devastating for Winegrapes
Another fire season in California has resulted in another series of challenges for winegrape growers as it relates to smoke exposure. Over a million acres have been burned in recent …