Things happen fast in the spring!

The short video above was captured at the NMSU viticulture vineyard at  Fabian Garcia Agriculture Science Center in Las Cruces. In this time lapse video you can see the buds on Sangiovese (our earliest budding cultivar at Las Cruces). It was captured with a camera that takes photos about on a 24 hour cycle. Of course, right now the same vines are almost ready to bloom.

Photograph of Malbec at approximately the Modified E-L stage 15 or 16: 8-10 leaves separated, shoot elongating rapidly,  single flowers in compact groups. Notice that the flowers are not yet open....I have had experienced grape growers tell me their vines had "set fruit" after seeing these unopened flower buds. But they were mistaken. What they saw, what is visible in this photo... are just...unopened flower buds. It will take some more time for them to open, shed pollen (anthesis), and then effect fertilization of the flower to form a nascent grape berry.

Late spring snow and cold nights...possible damage in across the state in New Mexico vineyards

Looking down rows at Santa Ana Tamaya Vineyard, April 13, 2020, notice the advanced stage of the shoots?

A closer look the morning after...flagging shoots are already present and visible. These are Chardonnay shoots at the Santa Ana Vineyard, April 14, 2020.  

Looking down the rows at vineyard in eastern New Mexico...April 13-14, 2020

Close-up of what appears to be a damaged shoot...

bud break and beyond

Kim VanDyke sent this photo...Cabernet Sauvignon beginning the 2020 season. Notice the 'apical dominance' being presented on the shoot visible towards the left of this photo? The most distal buds appear to have initiated growth before the more basally located buds. 

Dr. Kevin Lombard, Farmington ASC, practicing social distancing in the field. 

Pruning wood removed from Refosco and Gewurztraminer vines in the rootstock research plots at the Farmington, ASC. Notice the difference in color of the wood? One is light and the other further up the row towards the truck is more red in color...which corresponds to Refosco and which to Gewurztraminer?  BTW: no budbreak evident at this location.

San Juan Mountains of Colorado in distance, north of the Farmington, ASC, located on NAPI land. 

Sampling for nematodes near Engle, NM

NMSU nematologist Jacki Beacham collects soil samples from vineyard near Engle, NM

She will elutriate the samples to quantify nematodes prior to applying treatments for their control.  

Link to soil salinity research and preliminary results from soil survey of New Mexico vineyards

Click on the link below to access a recent article on research that is on-going in California. We here in New Mexico are constantly faced with soil salinity issues...the article outlines how this issue is likely to be exacerbated by climate changes.
Salt Tolerant Grape Rootstocks



Results of statewide vineyard soil survey are displayed below in these graphics. I collected the soil samples and they were analyzed at FGL Environmental Labs in Santa Paula, CA. Dr. Ciro Velasco-Cruz our visiting statistics research professor, generated the graphs using SAS software. Take a moment to survey the results and compare them to your soil in your vineyard. How does your vineyard soil compare to the averages in your region of the state? I will be writing some more on the implications of each nutrient in the coming days and weeks.

Phenology continues

Grapevine phenology continues at the Fabian Garcia, ASC, Las Cruces,NM
The most widely accepted and used descriptions of growth stages were developed by Eichhorn and Lorenz and fully described and articulated by Australian researcher, B. G. Coombe in 1995, cited below.  Graduate student, Jacque Cormier is tracking phenology of her Malbec vines exposed to different cover crops as part of her field research project.

From B.G. Coombe, 1995, Adoption of a system for identifying grapevine growth stages, Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 1:100-110.

March 24, 2020: budburst, E-L stage #4, Malbec at Fabian Garcia ASC experimental vineyard, Las Cruces, NM (photo credit: (Jacque Cormier)

March 27, 2020: 3-leaf, E-L stage #9,  Malbec at Fabian Garcia ASC experimental vineyard, Las Cruces, NM (photo credit: (Jacque Cormier)

Planting Port

Preparing to receive Touriga National vines later this week. 

Vine row that was treated with Forfeit 280 on March 17th.. The active ingredient in Forfeit 280 is glufosinate. It is a contact herbicide, and one can see it is beginning to have an affect on the weeds in the vine row, as they are wilting and turning brown. 

Take a close look...some small weeds towards the left side of the photo are green and growing despite the application of Forfeit 280 as seen in the photo above. This portion of the  vine row was hoed the day before the application of the herbicide. Because the weeds were cut off below the soil surface the plants' green tissue did not come in contact with the herbicide. Consequently, these "protected" weeds (or more exactly their roots) are giving rise to new growth...growing back quite vigorously. One should allow the weeds to die once the herbicide has been applied. Notice the wilting weed in the upper part of the photo.

Carl (forefront) and Jose (rear) dig and prepare planting holes in anticipation of planting some Touriga Nacional vines at  at the NMSU Los Lunas ASC experimental vineyard.

According to Wikepedia   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touriga_Nacional

Touriga Nacional is a variety of red wine grape, considered by many to be Portugal's finest. Despite the low yields from its small grapes, it plays a big part in the blends used for ports, and is increasingly being used for table wine in the Douro and Dão. Touriga Nacional provides structure and body to wine, with high tannins and concentrated flavors of black fruit. Jancis Robinson has compared its relationship with Touriga Francesa to the partnership between Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the former providing structure, the latter filling out the bouquet.  

Always good to see an earthworm...when you are digging a hole. Not sure what role they play in terroir