AgBioResearch

Michigan Grape and Wine Research Priorities

• Pest & disease detection and control, including mildews, phylloxera, and emerging biological issues
• Climate change impacts on Michigan’s wine industry
• Sustainable vineyard & winery practices with a focus on regenerative agriculture and soil health
• Sustainable water-use and solutions for wastewater/process water discharge
• Grapevine selection and new varieties for Michigan’s climatic conditions
• Frost impacts to Michigan vineyards for maximum survival & fruit quality
• Vine Health Knowledge for Maximum Survival & Fruit Quality
• Pest & Disease Detection and Control
• Sustainable Vineyard & Winery Practices to increase positive Environmental Impact
• Soil Health Improvement & Better Understanding
• Improve Understanding of Viticultural and environmental conditions on Grape & Wine quality
• Grapevine Selection & Best Viticultural Practices related specifically to our Michigan climatic conditions in the key winegrowing areas
• Introduction of Mechanization and Automation to current Production & Management Systems
• Pruning strategies for long-term survival and production in Cold Climate conditions
• Trunk management for bud survival and healthy fruit production
• Leaf & Vine – the efficiency and relationship to vine health and fruit quality
• Nutrient inputs – what, when & how
• Role of foliar fertilization - benefits, drawbacks
• Understanding Composting methods and impact on IPM and vine health
• Trunk disease detection and response options
• Pesticide disease/pest resistance
• Systemic vs Organic product efficacy (pesticides & other foliar products)
• Bio fungicides’ and pesticides role in vineyard IPM
• Compost and Compost Tea usage as IPM practice
• Vineyard Floor Management: E.G., Non Herbicide Weed Control in Vineyards
• Wine quality evaluation where reduced or eliminated systemic pesticide and synthetic fertilizer used in vineyard
• Nutrient cycling
• How mechanization can maintain grape quality and serve sustainable practices
• Remote sensing
• Precision viticulture to optimize inputs and environmental impact
• Using Biological Fungicides Instead of Synthetic Fungicides for Powdery Mildew
• Increasing Grape Yield Per Acre for Michigan grown Wine Grapes.
• Converting to Certified Organic or Biodynamic, from traditional farming, including costs, labor, and crop value.
• Naturally fungus resistant grape varieties.
• Sparkling Wine Production.
• Wine grape production volume/quantity in Michigan.
• Statewide grape pricing survey.
• Maximizing phenolic extraction in red wine making.
• Understanding grape press fractions in chemistry and phenolics both in whole cluster and destemmed pressing.
• Optimizing grape pomace compost for vineyard application.

Updated August 2024