Cover crop progress

    

illustration from the Japanese agricultural encyclopedia Seikei Zusetsu (1804) Wikipedia

    The buckwheat planted at the Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center on Wednesday, September 9 has germinated uniformly and is beginning to grow. Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) can grow rapidly and cover the ground quickly, if given water. We will likely use it as a  'green manure' crop and incorporate it into the soil prior to planting our winter cover crop later next month. 

    The plant has an interesting history (Wikipedia buckwheat background) and although not wheat, and not a grain because it is not a grass, it is often used in a similar manner to grains. In Asia, it has been milled and used as a pasta-like noodle for centuries. It was first brought to this country by Polish and other immigrants who cooked it in a porridge-like dish they called 'kasha'. It is gluten-free and can be made into beer (of course!). It was widely grown in the United States, and by 1918 occupied about 1,000,000 acres. It was largely replaced by corn and wheat that respond to nitrogen fertilizer and produce more calories per acre. 

    We have the capability to flood irrigate at the ASC and this is a distinct advantage. As described in the last post about buckwheat, our intention is to cover the ground temporarily after killing the native vegetation and transition to our slightly more permanent winter cover, that will likely consist of cereal rye and some Austrian pea. 

Check out the progress below:

Notice the germinating seed in the left-hand (or upper) photograph. The radicle has just emerged and is starting to penetrate into the soil. This photo was taken on Monday, September 14th, just 5 days after seeding the buckwheat. The right-hand (or lower) photograph was taken on Friday September 18th, 9 days after seeding. The germinated young plants with 'seedling' leaves look vigorous and ready to get on with covering the soil.

Photograph with seeding lines visible in the row middle, September 14, 2020.

Photograph with seedling lines filled with buckwheat seedlings in the row middle, September 18, 2020.

Another Practical Resource for Varietal Information

 This publication Wine Grape Varieties of California is available from University of California's Agriculture and Natural Resources, 

It is Publication #3419 and can be found at this website:  ANR Communications Services website 

    It is an excellent resource with much practical information about several major wine grape varieties (36) grown and recommended for California. Each of these has a full 4 page entry that includes a short history of the variety, a description of its growth and soil adaptability, clones (if available), recommended rootstocks training and pruning, trellising, susceptibility to insects and diseases and the variety's common applications in the winery.  The book has a section dedicated to rootstocks and their capabilities and characteristics, some general cultural techniques, and a section on minor varieties that includes brief descriptions of such varieties as: Petit Verdot, Tannat, Montepulciano, Arneis, Sylvaner and even our New Mexico heritage variety, Mission. The book closes with a working glossary of terms....that every winegrower should know ;)

    Of course we live and grow in  New Mexico. but many of our grape growing regions have much in common with California in that we are semi-arid to arid and have hot summer temperatures. If you want a resource that is always at your fingertips without logging on, clicking through, waiting for all the internet advertisements to run their course and ultimately relying on the power grid, you will not regret obtaining a copy of this publication....brought to you courtesy of the United States Land Grant University system and Extension Service. In this case the California version at University of California, Davis.

Cover of publication 3419, the publication not only contains much practical information, it also has some of the most beautiful full color photos of wine grapes I have seen.

Typical varietal entry page within the publication 3419, Wine Grape Varieties in California, available from Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of California (link located at top of blog entry)

Resource for information on grape varieties

 "The Book" for looking up a variety you may never have heard of, or seen. It is also handy for finding some obscure and possibly useful information on varieties you thought you knew all about.

Jancis Robinson and her co-authors have done a through job with this book...it is weighty but fairly complete

A typical plate from the book displaying the Portuguese port variety, Touriga Nacional.

Here is an example of the varietal description and informative entry that accompanies each entry.

Ordering vines for next year...NOW

After you have carefully considered and selected the best rootstock and grape variety to plant in 2021, now is the time to connect with a nursery and place an order. 

Make sure you call and talk with the nursery of your choice. 

Dr. Stephanie Bolton of the Lodi Wingrape Commission reminds us that there is no such thing as certified virus-free planting material. Dr. Bolton continues that growers should insist on CDFA (California Department of Food and Agriculture) certified rootstock and scion material (preferably the 2010 protocol) and obtain virus testing by the nursery or yourself. 

Below are resources to refer to when ordering grapevines, they are listed in Dr Bolton's recently released book; What Every Winegrower Should Know: Viruses, Lodi Winegrape Commission 2020, Lodi California. 

1. Useful overview article of considerations when ordering grapevines, by Drs. Jim Wolpert and Andy Walker.  https://grapes.extension.org/ordering-grapevine-cuttings-and-plants-from-nurseries/    

2. How to choose a rootstock by Stan Grant:  Stan Grant on Rootstock selection

3. Ordering grapevines by Dr. James Stamp: https://www.winebusiness.com/wbm/?go=getArticle&dataId=191691

Buckwheat after Forfeit 280...a short term, fall planted, cover crop

 Buckwheat (Fagopyrum sagittatum Gilib), classified as a 'superfood' by some, is not wheat in the true botanical sense, but it can be a useful cover crop. Here, we are planting it as a short term transitional cover crop in the experimental vineyard at the Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center. The intention is to get it germinated and then allow it to grow until it is killed by frost. If, and that is a big "if", it blooms, it may be used as a late season forage for bees and other pollinating insects. At any rate, after a hard freeze, we will come back and seed the vineyard to an overwintering cover such as winter wheat, triticale or cereal rye. Our overall goal is to keep the ground covered and to cycle in as much organic matter as possible, while mitigating wind and water erosion of our precious soil. 

Looking down a vineyard row middle on Tuesday September 8, 2020, after application of the herbicide Forfeit 280 (glufosinate-ammonium) three days earlier.

Each row middle has a swath of cover about 6 ft. wide x 288 ft in length (actual row spacing is 10 ft) with vines spaced 4 ft apart within the vine row). The herbicide was applied with a hand-pumped backpack sprayer and required one full backpack per row (~ 3 gal). There were 11 row middles, for a total of 33 gal of herbicide/water mixture applied over a total area of ~20,000 sq ft, once headlands and some outside areas were spot sprayed. Consequently, a relatively high total amount of spray mixture was applied, with the amount of herbicide per acre applied falling somewhere within the labelled rate of 48 to 82 oz per acre. The approximate cost of the applied herbicide was ~$26.00 - $48.00 and it took me about 4 hours (unpaid managerial labor, or a figure of $15.00 could be added in) for an estimated labor cost of ~$60.00. The buckwheat seed was about 1.50 per lb and 100 lbs cost ~$125.00 to have it shipped from Clovis, NM. The approximate out of pocket expense for the project was about $383.00 dollars, not including the time and skill of NMSU Viticulture Program Coordinator, Daniel Goodrich to transport the tractor and seeder to Los Lunas, ASC from Fabian Garcia ASC in Las Cruces and his time operating the tractor on site (about 2.5 hours, including unloading, calibrating the seeder and reloading the tractor)

Daniel Goodrich, NMSU Viticulture Program Coordinator about to head down the vineyard row middles seeding buckwheat with the Great Plains seeder (no-till) at Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center.

A view of the 'business end' of the Great Plains seeder before it is lowered to the ground.

Interestingly, dandelions (Taraxacum spp.), were minimally impacted by the application of Forfeit 280 herbicide (glufosinate-ammonium). In this photograph, they are still quite green, despite the dead grasses surrounding them that were sprayed with the same herbicide at the same time, three days earlier.  

Some damage to grape leaves as result of over spray of the Forfeit 280. Not to worry, it is not systemic and if your vines are trained up as they should be there will be typically be minimal damage.

Refosco rose (Farmngton ASC), Chambourcin (Enchantment Vineyards, Portales)

 Refosco, an acidic red V. vinifera cultivar, hails from northern Italy and Slovenia. It is being grown at the Farmington Agricultural Science Center on nine different rootstocks as part of an on-going study. Recently, we harvested and transported it to Las Cruces to make a dedicated Rose.  

Grapes on the go! ...heading to Fabian Garcia Agricultural Science Center in Las Cruces.

L-R: Sam Allen (Agricultural Research Scientist), Kevin Lombard (Superintendent) and Jason Thomas (Research Lab Technician) load Refosco and Baco Noir (orange buckets) grapes after harvest and select berry samples for analysis, September 2, 2020. CoVid-19 protocol: masks and social distance in effect.

Fresh pressed juice immediately following crushing and de-stemming. 

Chambourcin, two days prior to harvest. Note the bird/hail side netting in place. 

Bird/hail side netting, attached/clipped to top foliage wire with netting hanging down to protect the fruit form predators and hail.

Chambourcin is nothing if not productive...note the presence of four clusters on a single shoot in this photograph. 

Growing Degree Days 2020

 Many of you closely observe, track and even try to predict the weather....Here is a great, synopsis from Dr. Gregory Jones of Linfield College,  of recent weather in the western US, including New Mexico, for end of the summer. 

Dr. Gregory Jones climate report

Check out the graphic below of the accumulated growing degree days for the 2020 growing season. You will notice that central and eastern New Mexico are well above average in growing degree days accumulation. 

Western US March through September 2020 growing degree-days (image from Climate Impacts Research Consortium, University of Idaho). 

If you are not sure what a Growing Degree Day is or how to calculate and track them, check out my recent NMSU extension guide on Grapevine Phenology @ Grapevine Phenology