The Finger Lakes Teaching and Demonstration Vineyard, a partnership between the Finger Lakes Grape Program and Finger Lakes Community College, serves as a place for hands-on learning for students, growers, and the general public. It also provides us with an opportunity to compare an array of grape varieties planted side by side.

Below are listed the average pruning weights for each of the varieties we have planted in the Teaching Vineyard.

The Finger Lakes Teaching and Demonstration Vineyard, a partnership between the Finger Lakes Grape Program and Finger Lakes Community College, serves as a place for hands-on learning for students, growers, and the general public.  It also provides us with an opportunity to compare an array of grape varieties planted side by side.

In conjunction with Greg Loeb, Professor, Department of Entomology, NYSAES, two replicated spray trials using 4 insecticides currently registered for use on grapes in New York State (Admire Pro, Danitol 2.4 EC, Leverage 360 and Sniper) were conducted by NYS IPM Program and LERGP staff in grower vineyards in the Lake Erie region.

Historically, control practices for vineyard pests in the eastern United States were made based on the calendar or on a growth stage such as bud break, bloom or verasion using materials with a broad spectrum of activity. This was a fairly straightforward approach to pest management, and for many years this type of spray program was very effective. However, as the nation became more conscious of pesticide use, the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) was introduced, and broad spectrum pesticides were either restricted in their usage, grapes were removed from the label, or were banned completely. In the recent past, we have seen more choices in fungicides and insecticides come on the market, but the trend is now toward less toxic and narrower spectrum pesticides.