Cornell Lake Erie Research & Extension Laboratory Held Recent Pruning School

PORTLAND, NEW YORK (November 21, 2024) – The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program from the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory held pruning school on our AgriTech Campus in Portland, NY on Tuesday, November 19, 2024. This program was set up in a direct response to a couple grower requests. The day began with a light lunch for registrants and a brief overview by Dr. Terry Bates. He spoke about the pruning research carried out in our region over decades that has informed our research-based pruning strategies. While the primary focus of this program was on crop size manipulation, the role of soil health, nutrient availability, and water cannot be overstated. Enhancing vine size through optimal water and nutrient management supports higher crop loads while maintaining fruit quality and vine vigor. The team discussed the reasoning behind which buds are the most fruitful, which type of cane wood is ideal, what a ‘balanced’ vine means and how to determine it, what balancing your vines will do for the future success of your vineyard, and they learned about the many mechanized pruning trials. After an excellent question-and-answer session, the attendees went out into our research vines to observe the CLEREL crew hand-prune vines and how to collect pruning weights, which is an important technique to calculate your crop load and balance your vines.

This event was well attended for our first one in many years. New growers were there to learn as well as seasoned growers who brought their vineyard crew members. We were all pleased with the outcome of this educational event and hope to continue them in the future. A suggestion was made to add a blade-sharpening portion to future classes to ensure our pruning shears are optimal for the season.

Dr. Terry Bates and others have studied how pruning levels affect Concord Grape Production and have published scientific papers on the results. Optimizing yield and maintaining acceptable juice soluble solids requires a strategic approach to pruning. Research demonstrates that increasing retained nodes per vine can enhance yields while delaying harvest minimally, provided midseason crop adjustments are employed. Meanwhile, adopting mechanical pruning systems significantly reduces costs, offering growers a pathway to improved profitability without compromising quality. The choice of pruning strategy should align with vineyard size, climate conditions, and grower objectives. For most New York ‘Concord’ grape growers, mechanical + manual pruning represents the most balanced and economically viable option, achieving higher yields and quality while minimizing labor costs.

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of Directors with general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated November 21, 2024