Installation of 'Access" tubes to accomodate frequency domain reflectometry probe in order to measure volumetric soil moisture at Fabian Garcia ASC by Jacque Cormier, NMSU Viticuture PhD graduate student

1.21.2020 

This week at the Fabian Garcia ASC vineyard in Las Cruces the access tubes are being installed into the cover cropped and bare soil 'control' plots of the Malbec block. Tim, one of our student workers uses a mallet and metal rod to drive the fiberglass tube into the 100-centimeter deep hole made by an auger. A consistent and tight (no air spaces or gaps) soil to tube contact installation is critical. Once installed, these tubes will accommodate a banded probe, frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) probe that can detect soil volumetric water content at 6 different depths. These moisture readings will help researchers (us) better understand the relationship between different vineyard cover crops and soil moisture throughout the seasons, and how any differences in soil moisture affect vine performance.

Installation of access tube with aluminum rod that is
    placed inside of the tube and then driven to depth with
mallet to place the tube at the correct depth.

Components used to install the 'access' tubes

1.17.2020
Over the next two weeks the vineyards at NMSU's Fabian Garcia Agriculture Science Center will be dormant pruned. Dormant pruning maintains the vines within a manageable size from year to year, making it easier for the field crew to access the fruit and manage the inter-row cover crops. Here at Fabian Garcia we spur prune the predominately vertical shoot positioned (VSP) trained vines. Later in the spring, after bud break, we will thin new shoots to a specific count per foot (usually 3-4 per foot of cordon) to keep the research vines consistent and to maintain 'vine balance' (leaf to fruit ratio). The dormant wood is bundled per vine and weighed in the Malbec block, being used in the cover crop study.

Weighing dormant pruning wood and Tim (recording the weights on his phone (background with black jacket and baseball cap) @ NMSU Fabian Garcia ASC, January 2020

Time to Prune?

"Mechanical" versus Hand Pruning

Sandhill cranes in Los Lunas ASC vineyard, December 9, 2019

                 The sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) are in peak presence here at the Los Lunas Agriculture Science Center experimental vineyard. Their annual migration is a form of phenology, that describes the repeating/recurring life cycle events of living organisms, that include a wide range of creatures and plants, ranging from the aforementioned cranes to grapevines. Because the crane migration occurs in the fall, it reminds me that pruning time is fast approaching. I am not convinced that we should start pruning just yet, but in conjunction with Santa Ana Pueblo vineyard manager, Mr. Jim Peterson, we have initiated an evaluation in the Santa Ana Vineyard of "mechanical" and hand pruning. The study will be conducted this pruning season (2019 to 2020). There will be three "treatments" imposed on the vines at pruning:

1. Mechanical pruned only with a motorized hedge trimmer.
2. Mechanical pruned with a motorized hedge trimmer with hand-pruned 'follow-up'
3. Hand pruned to 3 bud spurs across the entire vine

                  The bud counts on treatments 2 and 3 will be leave approximately 60-70 buds per vine. Or ~30 buds per side of the vine (~30 buds is about ~ 5 buds per foot given the in-row or intra-row spacing at this vineyard). The mechanically pruned vines with no hand-pruning followup, will have many more than 60-70 buds per vine.

This is substantially heavier than when pruning vines for high-quality still wines. This high bud count will undoubtedly lead to a fairly congested canopy next season with a likely chance of over cropping. But, keep in mind, these vines are destined for sparkling wine and are picked relatively early. Jim and company are aiming for ~5 tons per acre. Jim is looking to gain a time/labor savings with the incorporation of this limited 'machine-aided' pruning. As the rough 'mechanical' pruning is performed, the cut canes and cane fragments fall out of the trellis to the vineyard floor. This alone, saves the pruners from having to "pull brush" from the trellis wires and should ease the strain of constantly pulling brush free of the trellis foliage wires. Check out the following photos to see some of the aspects we are observing as we go along.

The cut end of  'mechanically' cut spur, pruned with a motorized, hand-held, hedge trimmer (left) and the much cleaner cut-end of the spur that was made with sharp hand-pruners (right).

This is a vine that has been 'pruned' with the motorized, hand-held, hedge trimmer.

This is the same vine visible above, 'pruned' with the motorized hand held hedge trimmer  and then cleaned up and adjusted with hand pruners. 

Stay tuned to see the study as it unfolds and what we find out.

Grapevine water use in Central New Mexico.

NMSU viticulture has initiated a study to determine how much water grapevines growing in central New Mexico require to produce a 3-6 ton/acre crop of wine grapes destined for sparkling wine production. 

                An exploratory, observational study was initiated in 2018 at a  ~30 acre commercial vineyard at the Pueblo of Santa Ana, Sandoval County, NM (just north of Bernalillo, NM, east of I-25), to measure and calculate the seasonal water requirement of three Vitis vinifera winegrape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, grown for sparkling wine production. Although it is widely established that wine grape growers can more efficiently manage their irrigation systems and the amount of water applied to grapes once the grapevine’s water requirement for a desired fruit composition and yield level is known (Williams 2001), this has not been accomplished within New Mexico.

Figure 1. Average soil moisture (%) at 6 depths in three blocks at Santa Ana Vineyard , NM, from October 31, 2018 to October 26 , 2019.

In figure 1 above, notice that the soil moisture (%) in the Pinot Meunier block was substantially greater across all depths except 1000 mm. This block is located at the lowest elevation compared to the other two and the alluvial soil, with an associated greater water holding capacity may have played a role in this trend. We will repeat the study next year with more replications to determine if this is the case. 

Close up of HH2 unit being used to capture soil moisture readings at 100, 200, 300, 400, 600, and 1000 mm  under the trellis in the vine row at Santa Ana Pueblo Vineyard, Sandoval County, NM.

Figure 2. Stem water potential of three varieties during the growing season 2019. The dotted line indicates level of stem water potential (-1.0 MPa) that water stress is likely to occur

Scholander pressure chamber used to determine level of water status of grapevines during the growing season. 

Wikepedia: pressure bomb_Check out the explanation of a pressure chamber and how it is used to determine water potential ( or how water stessed ) a plant maybe at any given time. 

Mr.George Zhuang, Viticulture Farm Advisor, University of California, Fresno County Visits the Mesilla Valley

Looking east over Stahmanns Pecan Groves from mesa on the Stahman Ranch southwest of Las Cruces, NM. The Organ Mountains are in the background. From left: George Zhuang (Farm Advisor, UC in Fresno Co., CA), Daniel Goodrich (Program Coordinator, NMSU Viticulture), Gill Giese (Extension Viticulture Specialist, NMSU) and Mr. Rafael Rovirosa (Director of Operations, Stahmanns Pecans)

We were treated to a tour of Stahmann's Pecans and processing plant near Las Cruces NM on Friday November 1. Mr. Rafael Rovirosa served as our knowledgeable and gracious host throughout. We were introduced to traditional practices and cutting edge technology as pecans remain a vibrant, sustainable industry in New Mexico's  economy due to pioneers and innovators like Rafael and his family. After the tour of Stahmanns we headed west to Deming and Luna Rossa vineyard and winery owned and operated by the D'Andrea family. Mr. Paolo D'Andrea was our generous and open host, explaining both his wine-growing philosophy and techniques. Paolo grew up in a winegrowing family in Italy and after moving to the US started his own business on the edge of where a vinifera grape can grow...arid lands of southern western New Mexico.  

Mr. George Zhaung (left) and Mr. Paoloo D'Andrea of Luna Rossa Vineyard and Winery, Deming, NM share some grape growing information and camaraderie in Paolo's vineyard. 

Mr. George Zhaung (left) and Mr. Gordon Steel of Rio Grande Vineyard and Winery near Las Cruces, NM, discuss some of Gordon's wines, with special reference to his Quene Tendre or French Colombard wine that Gordon makes as an "orange" wine.

Gordon Steel's family has been in New Mexico since the 1800's. After a military career, Gordon literally and figuratively returned to his roots, establishing his vineyard and winery in the Mesilla Valley just outside Las Cruces. He has grown grapes and made wine commercially for over 15 years. Gordon has studied and traveled thorough out the wine world to bring knowledge and 'know how'  to bear on his line up of high quality wines.

Mr.George Zhuang, University of California Farm Advisor for Fresno County, presented a talk on:

Alfalfa cover crop and red Cabernet Franc leaves

October 23, 2019 at Fabian Garcia Agricultural Science Center, Las Cruces, NM

The vines at Fabian Garcia have not been exposed to a 'killing' frost as of yesterday October, 23rd. This is in contrast to vines at Los Lunas, northward. Check out one of the newly planted cover crop treatments in PhD's student Jacque Cormier's vineyard cover crop study. Jacque has been hard at work establishing the plots that will include: a clean cultivated control, beneficial insect mix (many flowering species), alfalfa and 'native' vegetation (weeds). She is investigating many aspects, impacts and interactions of the cover crops and Malbec vines and fruit over a 3 year period. 

Newly germinating alfalfa as a cover crop infested with  yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) in experimental Malbec vineyard at Fabian Garcia ASC, Las Cruces, NM (PHOTO CREDIT: Ms. Jacqueline Cormier)

Cabernet Franc with view of the Organ Mountains to the east, at Fabian Garcia ASC, Las Cruces, NM

The vine in the lower photograph is Cabernet Franc...is that 'normal' red color or is the coloration due to a virus infection? 

Installation of weather station near Santa Fe

Installation of weather station at Santa Fe County vineyard exploration site

October 21, 2019, As part of a vineyard site assessment project commissioned by Santa Fe County, NMSU viticulture installed a weather station to track temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, growing degree days (GDDs), chilling hours and precipitation. The station will provide climatic data to aid characterization of the site and its suitability to support commercial grape production.     

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Miranda Kersten, Research IPM Scientist, adjusting wind speed/direction anemometer on
          Spectrum weather station a Santa Fe County, vineyard exploration/assessment site, south of Santa Fe

Installation of drip tape in row middles for cover crops

Vineyard cover crop research, Fabian Garcia ASC, Las Cruces 

posted by Jacqueline Cormier, PhD graduate student, NMSU Viticulture

 At the Fabian Garcia Science Center, the cover crop trial is well on its way. The drip tape was installed into the Malbec block on September 27, 2019. This drip tape will enable us to be more precise with our watering than our previous flood set up. Being on drip we can now water the south and north sides of the field independently from one another. This is important because like many more permanent and commercial sites, our field is no longer perfectly level. The grape vines themselves are also on drip irrigation, thus, we can efficiently manage our water use.

One of the cover crops we are working with this year is ‘Ameristand 803T’ alfalfa which was seeded on October 3, 2019 and is already up in our plots. We planted the alfalfa with a rhizobium inoculant to give it a good head start.

    Fabian Garcia field crew hold drip tape in place as it is installed into the Malbec vineyard block.
Photo credit Fausto Baranzini Rogel.