For Grape Growers: Ohio State Hosts Conference Nov. 6 in Wooster

WOOSTER, Ohio — Grape growers will have the opportunity to learn from national experts at the upcoming Fall Viticulture Conference, to be held Nov. 6 on the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center’s (OARDC) Wooster campus.

The event, whose focus is “Recent Advances in Viticulture Research,” will run from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Shisler Conference Center, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster.

Presenting at the conference will be “a ‘Dream Team’ of viticulturists from across the country,” said Imed Dami, state viticulture specialist with OARDC and assistant professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science.

This educational opportunity, Dami pointed out, came to fruition due to the cancellation of the 2010 Ohio Grape and Wine Conference, which would have taken place during the winter.

Conference speakers include:

—Nick Dokoozlian, vice president of viticulture at Gallo Winery in Modesto, Calif., and a leading expert in canopy management.

—Stan Howell, emeritus professor of viticulture at Michigan State University and an expert on determining optimum crop load of important winegrape varieties grown in the East; he will share results of trials growing Pinot noir clones.

—Bruce Reisch, grape breeder in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station; his breeding program focuses on the genetic improvement of grapevines while integrating traditional and novel techniques.

—Paolo Sabbatini, assistant professor of horticulture at Michigan State University; his work focuses on identifying environmental, physiological and cultural factors that limit vine growth and development, fruit maturity, and quality.

—Justine Vanden Heuvel, assistant professor of viticulture in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station; her research deals with cultural practices and physiology affecting development of flavors and aromas in wine grapes.

—Dan Ward, Extension specialist at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center; he will share his recent study on utilizing mulches and herbicides in newly established vineyards.

Registration for the conference costs $80 by Oct. 30 and $100 after that; it includes breakfast, lunch and printed materials.

To register, or for more information, contact Dave Scurlock at 330-263-3825 or scurlock.2@osu.edu.

OARDC is the research arm of Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

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