Research Accomplishment Reports 2007

Multi-State Evaluation of Wine Grape Cultivars and Clones 

K. Kurtural, D. Archbold
Department of Horticulture

 

Project Description

: In 2007, as outlined in the methods, the vineyards were cared for and data collection, due to the advective freeze events encountered within the region on 7,8,9 April 2007, did not begin when planned. Severely hampered by the freeze, the vineyards that were planted for the projected were retrained the spring and summer of 2007 at great cost to the reporting unit.

Impact

Dr. Kaan Kurtural (viticulturist) conducted 11 workshops, one field day, and organized the Kentucky Grape and Wine Short Course and the Inaugural Kentucky Vintners' Dinner in 2007, with sponsorship from the Kentucky Vineyard Society (a grower organization.) The eleven workshops conducted also served as laboratory periods and in-service training sessions for the Commercial Grape Growing (PLS 590-007, a graduate level class developed and taught by Dr. Kurtural, on-line and on-campus), County Extension Agents and Extension Associates, respectively. The acreage of commercial vineyards continues to grow and has reached 702 acres by the end of 2007 with over 200 commercial growers. During the growing season (2007) 112 on-farm site visits were performed to consult with growers at their farms. In 2007, there were 29 vineyards planted with the Spatial Decision Support System for Vineyards totaling 92.8 acres. The viticulture field day was conducted at the UK Horticulture Research Farm in July of 2007 and was attended by 90+ growers with an over 97% satisfaction rate. The Kentucky Grape and Wine Short Course was held during the dormant season. In this year, the Short-Course was divided into two days where the first day focused on New Growers, and the second day focused on the marketing and production concerns of the commercial growers. The Inaugural Kentucky Vintners' Dinner was held in conjunction with the short course, and featured a six-course meal matched to nine Kentucky wines. UK Chef Bob Perry also assisted with this task. In 2007, the viticulture research program published three extension publications, received one graduate student scholarship from the American Society of Enology and Viticulture, presented six oral presentations at national and international meetings, and published two refereed papers.

Publications

Hammons, DL, SK Kurtural and D. Potter 2007 Japanese Beetles Facilitate Feeding by Green June Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) on Ripening Grapes. Environmental Entomology (in press)

PE Wilson, DA Archbold and SK Kurtural 2007 Effect of Crop Load on Vigor, Yield and Fruit Composition and Wine Phenolics of Vidal Blanc Grapevines Acta Horticulturae (ISHS) (in press)