Dear Grape Producers in Ohio:

I am sending this announcement to release “Ohio Grape Electronic Newsletter” or “O-GEN”, a new series of electronic mailings during the 2005 growing season. The purpose of this electronic outreach activity is to:

1)      Provide critical updates to commercial grape producers in Ohio.

2)      Alert producers of potential threat(s) to normal grape production (e.g. winter injury, Asian lady beetle, high disease pressure, etc.) and provide necessary action(s).

3)      Inform of upcoming educational events in both state and regional venues.

The main goal of this effort is to maximize the success for commercial grape producers during the growing season in a challenging Ohio environment.  

O-GEN will be sent directly from my office and will include collaborative effort from our OSU Specialists as well as Specialists from neighboring states. Your feedback is important to gauge the relevance of this information-sharing effort.

Please let me know if you wish to be removed from this list or if you know of someone who should receive it and has not already.

Our first update will be on the topic of the recent extreme minimum temperatures, bud injury assessment and recommendation on pruning adjustments and other cultural practices. I presented the subject of winter injury during the Short Course and the NE Winter School in 2004. The attached information will serve as a friendly reminder on how to cope with winter injury. I have also attached the assessment of bud injury in our research vineyards at OARDC-Wooster and the Ashtabula Agricultural Research Station in Kingsville. Special thanks are extended to Dave Scurlock, Paul McMillen (Research Technician) and Anton Prajitna (Graduate Student) from our group in Wooster and Greg Johns (Manager) in Kingsville for collecting and assessing bud mortality. In case you’re wondering, we have not pruned vinifera varieties yet in either test vineyard, but we will begin next week.

Have a great and successful season!