by Lodi Growers | Jun 16, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
Remote sensing is a valuable tool for vineyard managers to assess several aspects of their viticultural operations, including pest management programs. Remote sensing refers to the use of aircraft or satellites to provide pictures or digital images of vineyards....
by Lodi Growers | Jun 9, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
In 1990 California became the first state to require full reporting of agricultural pesticide use. Under the full use reporting regulations growers are required to report monthly the pesticides they use to the agricultural commissioner of the county in which the pest...
by Lodi Growers | May 27, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
Using Aerial Imagery to enhance farm productivity was once out of reach, but it is now much more accessible on a timely basis for an affordable price. When you hear phrases like Color Infrared (CIR), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and thermal imagery...
by Lodi Growers | May 14, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
The Lodi Winegrape Commission and the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) are partnering to provide Lodi winegrowers with the latest information about grape pest management. This is the first of several excerpts from the...
by Lodi Growers | May 12, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
The 2014 season started off with Chardonnay budbreak just slightly ahead of average about 6 days, on March 9th. As in 2013 warm daily maximums, but below average nightly lows have allowed for a below average accumulation in Growing Degree Days (GDD). Drought...
by Lodi Growers | May 5, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
Vineyard management practices that improve fruit quality are only economically viable if the fruit price is high enough to offset increased costs to growers. For example, cluster thinning can help growers avoid delays in ripening and improve fruit quality, but it...
by Lodi Growers | Apr 29, 2014 | Videos, Presentations, & Handouts
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys), Chuck Ingels: Presentation slides Brown Marmorated Stink Bug: Potential for Biological Control, Charlie Picket: Presentation slides
by Lodi Growers | Apr 28, 2014 | Uncategorized
As 2013 comes to a close, most will remember the year of large crops across the globe and the market that began to shift back to the favor of the buyer. The Southern Hemisphere produced record crops in several markets, and with the exception of France, growers in the...
by Lodi Growers | Apr 21, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
The Soil Roadshow, held on April 14, took 30 local winegrowers on a tour of three different yet common soil types found within the Lodi region: San Joaquin, Tokay, and Corning/Redding. UCCE soil scientist Toby O’Geene and UCCE farm advisor Paul Verdegaal, along...
by Lodi Growers | Apr 17, 2014 | Videos, Presentations, & Handouts
Soil Texture Flowchart and Soil Texture Triangle Estimating Plant Available Water Holding Capacity Worksheet California Agriculture article: Soil-landscape model helps predict potassium supply in vineyards
by Lodi Growers | Apr 14, 2014 | Blog
Many grape growers would like to learn to speak Spanish in order to communicate more effectively with farmworkers who are more comfortable communicating in that language. However, the task of learning a foreign language just seems to be too difficult. This...
by Lodi Growers | Apr 8, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
Here are the basic facts of water in vineyards. Water resides in the soil, the atmosphere, and the grapevines. The water in these vineyard elements is interconnected and forms a continuum. In California, after the last spring rain, water moves mostly from the soil to...
by Lodi Growers | Mar 31, 2014 | Blog
Devising strategies for control of powdery mildew is a major focus of winegrape growers and pathology researchers. Many growers rely on nearby weather stations (such as a CIMIS station), the powdery mildew risk index, and other site-specific historical and seasonal...
by Lodi Growers | Mar 24, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
This month I would like to discuss sustainable agriculture. The following comments are my own and do not represent the official policy of the Lodi Winegrape Commission. I am sharing them in order to stimulate further discussion on this topic. I believe that...
by Lodi Growers | Mar 17, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
For the first time in the 54-year history of the State Water Project, the Department of Water Resources forecast in late January 2014 that there would be zero water deliveries to the 25 million people and 1 million acres of farmland that typically rely on its...