New York State Launches Grapevine Certification Program to Protect New York’s Grape Industry

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball announced today that the Department, in partnership with Cornell University, has relaunched its Grapevine Certification Program to protect and support New York’s wine and grape industry. The program provides the most rigorous testing protocols in North America for vine plant viruses, dramatically reducing the introduction of virus-infected vines into new vineyards and increasing the chances that plants sold will yield a healthy harvest. Three New York nurseries participate in the program and offer certified New York vines to vineyards in the state, eastern United States and eastern Canada.

Commissioner Ball said, “This nationally leading certification program is critical to the economic well-being of our grape growers here in New York State. It gives them a head start knowing that the vines they buy and plant are virus-free and have an increased likelihood of producing a quality harvest. We are proud to partner with Cornell AgriTech on this program, whose technological advances make it possible to detect, with extreme precision and in a short time, the presence of viruses in the vines, thus helping to protect our important wine and wine industry. grape here in New York State.”

Jan Nyrop, Director of the Goichman Family of Cornell AgriTech, said: “Cornell’s research and collaboration with New York State agriculture and markets is critical to the economic well-being of our wine and grape industries. Grapevine viruses and diseases in New York State can be difficult to manage and the Grapevine Certification Program will reduce the prevalence of viruses in New York State vineyards and lead to improved yields. and the quality of the grapes.

Department staff worked with three nurseries: Amberg Grapevines in Clifton Springs; Double A Vineyards in Fredonia; and Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard in Dundee – to collect grape leaf samples, which are then sent to Cornell AgriTech’s virology lab in Geneva for testing. Using state-of-the-art technology, Cornell personnel are able to provide better, more accurate results in a fraction of the time it previously took (weeks versus years) to determine if plant materials carry a virus.

Nurseries initially source virus-tested plants from foundation vineyards at clean plant centers in Davis, California and Prosser, Washington, which are part of the National Clean Plant Network of the USA. USDA. The Department’s ongoing and subsequent testing allows the nursery to detect any virus introductions and eliminate infected vines before the plants are propagated and sold to vineyards as stock.

New York samples every fourth vine in the nursery’s mother block each year, which is the source of cuttings for all new vines. For four years, 100% of these vines are sampled, checking that no virus has been introduced by insect vectors. At the nursery level, this represents the most frequent screening program in North America.

Eric Amberg, owner/manager of Amberg Grapevines, said: “Amberg Grapevines is proud to be part of this exciting new New York State certification program. We have over 200 varieties and clones of NYS certified vines available to our customers (limited quantities for spring 2023.) The NYS certification program raises the bar for quality “clean” vines. We look forward to serving our customers and expanding our reach in the Canadian market. »

Fred Merwarth, co-owner of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard & Nursery, said: “We are very pleased to be part of the New York State Vineyard Certification Program. As a vineyard and winery, we understand firsthand the time and financial commitments required to plant a vineyard. This is why we have always taken our testing and traceability very seriously, knowing that we would only sell vines to others that we would gladly plant in our own vineyards. The certification program takes the process to the next level and reinforces our commitment to grafting and cultivating the cleanest stock in the nursery industry.

Dennis Rak, owner of Double A Vineyards, Inc., said: “We have been involved in the certification program from the start. We are pleased to be able to offer high quality vines to our customers and look forward to supplying these vines for many years to come.

The certification program will economically benefit New York’s wine and grape industry, which ranks third in the nation for grape production. Grapes are susceptible to viruses that can be transmitted during the propagation process, which reduces the life of the vines as well as the yield, sugars and overall quality of the harvest. Investing in certified vines in New York saves growers money by extending the life of their vineyard and improving the quality of the harvest.

For example, a study conducted by Cornell concluded that uncontrolled leafroll disease on Cabernet franc vineyard in the Finger Lakes ranged from $10,000 to $17,000 per acre over 25 years (2012).

The program has been revitalized at the request of New York nurseries and growers. Dr. Marc Fuchs, Professor at Cornell University and Tim Martinson, Senior Extension Associate at Cornell Cooperative Extension were key resources as the Department’s Plant Industry Division worked in conjunction with nurseries to draft program requirements. certification.

New York’s certification program recently received recognition from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, allowing participating nurseries to export grapevines and apple trees to Canada and opening up an important new market for New York nurseries.

The Department expects the voluntary vine certification program to expand as these certified New York vines become available and more vines are produced in response to demand. Funding for the program was provided by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund and the USDA APHIS Farm Bill. In addition to the vines, the Department certifies the apple trees, in collaboration with the Wafler nursery in Wolcott. The apple trees in the nursery go through a similar process of testing and inspection.