2006 Annual Report 1.What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? Why does it matter? This CRIS project is aligned to NP 305: Crop Production. The Pacific Northwest is a young, rapidly expanding grape-growing region. Value-added products with beneficial health attributes, associated agri-businesses, and tourism make viticulture a strong contributor to the regional economy as much as $2.4 billion from wine and wine grapes in Washington alone. The public's awareness of and demand for purple grape juice and red wine have been raised by recent scientific evidence of their beneficial effects on cardiovascular health. The semi-arid climate of the inland northwest allows growers to use irrigation as a tool to optimize the vineyard microclimate for premium quality grapes. This unique management opportunity combined with regular risks of winter injury in the region pose challenges to the development of integrated production practices and to the selection of appropriate cultivars, particularly among wine grapes. Current production methods reflect the historical development of European tradition and the transfer of conventions from California, neither of which is wholly suitable to the Pacific Northwest's environment. One focus of this project is to develop irrigation practices for semi-arid regions like the inland northwest with hot summers and cold winters, to promote sustainable production of high quality wine and juice grapes. Automated instruments will be used to determine vineyard water use in real time. Farming practices that optimize the vineyard microclimate (i.e., temperature and light) and an automated method to estimate yield will be developed. Farmers manage water, nutrients, and cultural practices according to specific crop needs to minimize environmental concerns, such as runoff and leaching and to optimize grape quality for successful competition in a global market. Wine and juice quality are directly related to water management. Science-based estimates of actual vine water use will enable management of irrigation water in a cost-effective and environmentally sound manner while simultaneously maximizing product quality. This research will assist juice grape growers in transition from rill to drip irrigation, and assist wine grape growers in more effective targeting of irrigation schedules. In addition, cultivars, clones, and grafting methods suitable for this climate will be identified. Indicators of vine growth and physiological status will be measured regularly in all studies, using standard techniques. Management strategies, particularly irrigation, will be tied to indicators of grape quality: sugars, acids, pH, color, phenols, and aroma compounds. Grapes from experiments on irrigation, farming practices, and cultivar selection will be assessed for quality and sensory preferences in the finished product. Potential benefits: Improve farmers' knowledge of grapevine water relations and fruit ripening in semiarid and northern regions; Enhance farmers' management of grapevines for sustained production of high quality fruit in the Pacific Northwest; Increase growers', juice processors', and wineries' production efficiency with a new technology for estimating grapevine yield; Improve farmers' abilities to efficiently manage water, a limited resource in semiarid regions like the inland northwest. Customers: Grape growers in the Pacific Northwest and other semiarid regions with hot summers and cold winters. Grower acreage is variable, ranging from small (<10 acres) to large (>500 acres). Small growers predominate in Idaho. Juice processors and wineries who process fruit from Pacific Northwest growers, and related agri-businesses who service their vineyards; Rural communities in the Pacific Northwest; Regional tourism; The general U.S. public due to health benefits of purple grape juice and wine. 2.List by year the currently approved milestones (indicators of research progress) FY2004 Objective 1: Develop irrigation practices that support sustainable production of high quality wine and juice grapes. A. Measure variations in grapevine water use under regulated deficit irrigation. 1. Vine water use in deficit-irrigated wine grape vineyard; 2. Whole-vine photosynthesis. B: Determine how different irrigation strategies influence grapevine horticultural attributes and grape composition for premium wine production. 1. Establish field trials; 2. Develop laboratory analytical methods. Objective 2: Determine effects of the variations in temperature found in the field environment on budburst, flowering, and fruit quality of grapevines. 1. Phenols and volatile analysis (Merlot); 2. Improved temperature-control device; 3. Control aerial temperatures. Objective 3: Develop and test an automated method for estimating yield in grapevines. 1. Sampling unit and sensor location. 2. Account for vegetative mass; 3. Test lower-cost DAC system in research vineyards. Objective 4: Evaluate non-grafted wine grape varieties and clones grown in a cool, semiarid climate for horticultural characteristics, berry composition, and wine quality. 1. Identify sentinel vines, collect data. FY2005 Objective 1: Develop irrigation practices that support sustainable production of high quality wine and juice grapes. A. Measure variations in grapevine water use under regulated deficit irrigation. 1. Vine water use in deficit-irrigated wine grape vineyard; 2. Compare sap-flow methods; 3. Whole-vine photosynthesis. B: Determine how different irrigation strategies influence grapevine horticultural attributes and grape composition for premium wine production. 1. Field data collection; 2. Perform laboratory analyses; 3. Data analysis. Objective 2: Determine effects of the variations in temperature found in the field environment on budburst, flowering, and fruit quality of grapevines. 1. Phenols and volatile analysis (Merlot); 2. Develop soil heating system; 3. Control aerial temperatures. Objective 3: Develop and test an automated method for estimating yield in grapevines. 1. Sampling unit and sensor location. 2. Account for vegetative mass; 3. Test lower-cost DAC system in research vineyards; 4. Test sensors and DAC unit in commercial vineyards (V. vinifera and V. labruscana). Objective 4: Evaluate non-grafted wine grape varieties and clones grown in a cool, semiarid climate for horticultural characteristics, berry composition, and wine quality. 1. Collect second season data. FY2006 Objective 1: Develop irrigation practices that support sustainable production of high quality wine and juice grapes. A. Measure variations in grapevine water use under regulated deficit irrigation. 1. Vine water use in deficit-irrigated wine grape vineyard; 2. Compare sap-flow methods; 3. Whole-vine photosynthesis. B: Determine how different irrigation strategies influence grapevine horticultural attributes and grape composition for premium wine production. 1. Field data collection; 2. Perform laboratory analyses; 3. Data analysis. Objective 2: Determine effects of the variations in temperature found in the field environment on budburst, flowering, and fruit quality of grapevines. 1. Phenols and volatile analysis (Merlot); 2. Develop soil heating system; 3. Control aerial temperatures. Objective 3: Develop and test an automated method for estimating yield in grapevines. 1. Sampling unit and sensor location. 2. Sensitivity in multiple-wire trellises; 3. Test sensors and DAC unit in commercial vineyards (V. vinifera and V. labruscana). Objective 4: Evaluate non-grafted wine grape varieties and clones grown in a cool, semiarid climate for horticultural characteristics, berry composition, and wine quality. 1. Collect third season data. FY2007 Objective 1: Develop irrigation practices that support sustainable production of high quality wine and juice grapes. A. Measure variations in grapevine water use under regulated deficit irrigation. 1. Field deployment of heat-pulse sensors. B: Determine how different irrigation strategies influence grapevine horticultural attributes and grape composition for premium wine production. 1. Field data collection; 2. Perform laboratory analyses; 3. Data analysis. Objective 3: Develop and test an automated method for estimating yield in grapevines. 1. Sensitivity in multiple-wire trellises; 2. Test sensors and DAC unit in commercial vineyards (V. vinifera and V. labruscana). FY2008 Objective 1: Develop irrigation practices that support sustainable production of high quality wine and juice grapes. A. Measure variations in grapevine water use under regulated deficit irrigation. 1. Field deployment of heat-pulse sensors. B: Determine how different irrigation strategies influence grapevine horticultural attributes and grape composition for premium wine production. 1. Field data collection; 2. Publish results. Objective 3: Develop and test an automated method for estimating yield in grapevines. 1. Sensitivity in multiple-wire trellises; 2. Test sensors and DAC unit in commercial vineyards (V. vinifera and V. labruscana). 4a.List the single most significant research accomplishment during FY 2006. Continuous Vineyard Tracking with the Trellis Tension Monitor. The Trellis Tension Monitor, for which US patent no. 6,854,337 was issued in FY2005, has been exploited for its sensitivity to detect subtle changes in trellised vineyards due to vine growth, fruit growth, and certain farming practices that influence the weight that is borne by the trellis wire. Thus the technology can be used to estimate, in real time, rates of vegetative growth, rates of fruit growth, and the timing of critical developmental stages, like the 'lag phase' of fruit growth, information that is important to growers and processors for making decisions about irrigation, crop thinning, and supplemental manual sampling. Currently, information at this temporal resolution is not available to growers, processors, or wineries from existing technologies. This work was accomplished at the Prosser, WA worksite of the USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Research Unit. Collaboration on data acquisition devices was with the Center for Precision Agricultural Systems of Washington State University--Prosser. Access to continuous information about the status of the vineyard will allow growers to adjust some of their farming practices 'on the fly' as the crop responds to the weather, irrigation, or other inputs. The Trellis Tension Monitor is applicable worldwide to any trellised crop in which there is a significant weight-bearing wire integral to the trellis system. (NP 305, Component 1 and 2.) 4b.List other significant research accomplishment(s), if any. Vine water status impacts grape and wine quality. Irrigation amount was shown to affect vegetative and reproductive growth of Merlot grapevines and to alter the aroma profile of the wine. This accomplishment addresses the integrated production system component of NP 305 (Crop Production), improved methods, principles, and systems for irrigation and fosters conservation of natural resources. Merlot grapevines were subjected to different levels of water stress in a 3-year field trial, and harvested fruit were fermented to evaluate quality attributes. The field trail was established by the Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory worksite in Parma Idaho at a commercial vineyard in collaboration with Winemakers LLC, and the aroma profile of fermented product was analyzed by a collaborator at Oregon State University. The deficit irrigation strategy and midday leaf water potential values associated with optimum quality and average water savings of 30% can be used to optimize commercial production efficiency and end product quality. Terroir of Idaho’s Western Snake River Plain. Potential viticultural sites in the western Snake River Plain of Idaho were identified and characterized. This accomplishment addresses the integrated production system component of NP 305 (Crop Production), in that viticulture in Idaho falls is a new crop as well as an alternative to traditional fruit crops. A geological and climatic comparison of the Snake River Valley in Idaho to more established production regions was made by the Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory worksite in Parma Idaho with collaborators at the Idaho Geological Survey, Boise State University, and an industry member. This publication was used by the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission to petition the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for a designated American Viticultural Area (Federal Register 71(136) July 17, 2006). 4c.List significant activities that support special target populations. None 4d.Progress report. None. 5.Describe the major accomplishments to date and their predicted or actual impact. The mechanism of sunscald in red wine grapes was identified in a field experiment wherein the temperature and solar radiation exposure of grape clusters were controlled in situ. A major winery in Washington already has incorporated these results into their management strategies via targeted fruit thinning from the western exposure of vines in north-south rows, where sunscald is more likely to appear. Various individual growers have reported less use of foliage wires on the west side of the vine canopy, also to mitigate sunscald. A national crop protection company has cited and has been distributing our published results to grape growers as evidence that application of one of the company's products may reduce sunscald in grapes because it is reported to reduce fruit surface temperatures. (NP305, Component 1, Problem Statements A, C and D). The grape industry's standard practice for yield estimation in vineyards is labor-intensive and provides only a snapshot of the status of the vineyard, suggesting to us the need for an automated method of crop monitoring to improve vineyard efficiencies. In the Horticultural Crops Research Unit's, Prosser, WA worksite, an apparatus was devised to monitor the vineyard and estimate grapevine yields by exploiting the trellis structure upon which the vines are supported. A U.S. patent (no. 6,854,337) was issued in 2005. Collaborators included present and former faculty of Washington State University. If brought to market by a suitable engineering firm, this automated method and apparatus for estimating vineyard yield could be applied to trellised commercial vineyards worldwide, giving growers, wineries, and juice processors real-time data on the status of the crop, information that they do not have at this scale with current practices. (NP 305, Component 1, Problem Statements A and D; and Component 2, Problem Statement C). 6.What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end-user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? The published description of Idaho terroir was used by the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission to submit a petition to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for the Snake River Valley to be designated as an American Viticultural Area (Federal Register 71(136) July 17, 2006). The proposed area is currently in the Federal Register for public comment, and if approved, could be available for use by industry within a year. This Snake River Valley designation would provide a marketing tool for the wine industry. During FY2006, the Trellis Tension Monitor (for which U.S. patent no. 6,854,337 was issued in FY2005) has been described in trade publications in the US and overseas, at grape industry meetings in the western US, and in a series of scientific presentations, but to date we are unable to identify a private-sector partner to commercialize the technology for agricultural application. Thus we are unable to facilitate the creation of a product for the farming community. The Trellis Tension Monitor will become available to end users (growers, wineries, juice processors) only when it can be licensed to a firm that can:. 1)assemble a cost-effect hardware package to replace the research-grade equipment used in the development process; and. 2)develop automated data processing routines with output to a farmer-friendly graphical interface for PC use. Constraints to adoption of the Trellis Tension Monitor include the absence of a commercially-available package, concerns about system cost, and remaining uncertainties about universal interpretation of the data. 7.List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. (NOTE: List your peer reviewed publications below). Tarara, J.M. (presenter). Climate and Phenolics. Invited by Dr. Wade Wolfe, Wine Yakima Valley, for "Phenolics Short Course," sponsored by Wine Yakima Valley in partnership with Washington State University Extension and Dr. James Harbertson. August 9, 2006 (Yakima, WA). Tarara, J.M. (presenter) and P.E. Blom. Trellis Tension Monitor in Vineyards. Invited by Mr. Douglas McMakin, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, July 25, 2006. Presented to scientific and technical staff of PNNL, Richland, WA Tarara, J.M. (presenter) and P.E. Blom. Grape Crop Prediction by Measuring Trellis Tension. Invited by American Society for Enology and Viticulture to speak during "Grape Crop Estimation" session at the Society's annual meeting, Sacramento, CA, 27-29 June, 2006. Presented to industry and academic members of ASEV. Tarara, J.M. (presenter) and P.E. Blom. Posts & Wires: Get More from Your Trellis Investment. Invited to present as part of 2006 Northwest Grape Summit, organized by Washington Wine Industry Foundation in conjunction with USDA-Risk Management Agency. Hood River, OR, 4 April, 2006; Caldwell, ID, 12 April, 2006 [presentation delivered by Dr. Susan Pheasant, WWIF]; and Kennewick, WA, 20 April, 2006. Presentations made to regional groups of grape growers and winemakers. Blom, P.E., J.M. Tarara, J.C. Ferguson, F.J. Pierce, and M.A. Olmstead. 2006. A novel method for continuous crop monitoring and yield estimation in vineyards. Proceedings of the Idaho Academy of Sciences. Tarara, J.M. 2005. A Climatology Refresher for Vineyard Managers and Winemakers. WSU Wine and Grape Research & Extension Newsletter. M.A. Olmstead and J.F. Harbertson (Eds.). Vol. 15, Issue 3. pp. 2-4, 6. Shellie, K. (presenter). 2005. Water management to optimize canopy, yield, and quality of Merlot. Annual Conference, Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research, Portland, OR, December 2005. Shellie, K. (presenter). 2005. Vine water stress severity in Vitis Vinifera L. cv. Merlot: Impact on Yield Components, Berry and Wine Composition. Groupe d’Etude des Systemes de Conduite de la Vigne. GESCO 2005 Geisenheim, Germany. 2:534-539. Shellie, K. (presenter). 2005. Merlot vine water status impacts yield, berry and wine quality. AJEV 56(3):301A. Annual meeting of the American Society of Enology and Viticulture, Seattle WA. Capital Press Agriculture Weekly. July 21, 2006, 7E. Idaho industry seeks Snake River appellation by Pat McCoy. Interviewed by Philip Gütt (NCSFR Program Coordinator), which resulted in a NCSFR newsletter article about Jungmin Lee’s background and research program. 2005. ARS magazine (April 2006 issue), article titled ‘Chasing Anthocyanins’ regarding Jungmin Lee’s research. Written by Marcia Wood, Laura McGinnis, and Jim Core. 2006. AOAC magazine (Inside Laboratory Management) and in ‘For your information’ in the AOAC Journal. Article regarding Jungmin Lee’s research. 2005. Lee, J. (presenter), Durst, R.W., Wrolstad, R.E. AOAC method 2005.02: Total monomeric anthocyanin pigment content of fruit juices, beverages, natural colorants, and wines by the pH differential method. Approved first action 2005. Parma Research and Extension Center open house and field day, Parma, ID, July 7th, 2006. Davenport, J. R., and R. G. Stevens. 2006. High soil moisture and low soil temperature are associated with chlorosis occurrence in Concord grape. HortScience 41: 418-422. Davenport, J. R., and R. G. Stevens. 2005. Investigation of potential climatic and nutritional causes of grape chlorosis. Proc. NW Center for Small Fruits Research 14:38-46. Keller M., B. Bondada, J.P. Smith and M. Biondi, 2005: Dynamics of grape berry growth and physiology of fruit volume change. Proc. Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research, 14th Annual Conference, Portland, OR, USA, pp. 77-78. Keller M., J.P. Smith and B.R. Bondada, 2006: Ripening grape berries remain hydraulically connected to the shoot. J. Exp. Bot. 57 (in press, for online advance access see http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/papbyrecent.dtl). Stevens, R., and J. R. Davenport. 2005. Cover crops to supply N for organic grape production. Proc. Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research 14:90 - 95. Table Grape Variety Evaluation and Improving Berry Quality, Size, and Yield under Desert Conditions of the Pacific Northwest. 2006 Proceeding for the 14th Annual Conference, 72-73. Review Publications Tarara, J.M., Ferguson, J.C. 2006. Two alogorithms for variable power control of heat-balance sap flow gauges under high flow rates. Agronomy Journal. 98:830-838. Tarara, J.M., Ferguson, J.C., Hoheisel, G.A., Perez Pena, J.E. 2006. Asymmetrical canopy architecture due to prevailing wind direction and row orientation creates an imbalance in irradiance at the fruiting zone of grapevines. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 135:144-155. Tarara, J.M., Perez Pena, J.A., Keller, M. 2005. Using whole-vine photosynthesis to understand the effects of water deficit on premium wine grapes. Acta Horticulturae. 689:301-307. Keller, M., Mills, L.J., Tarara, J.M., Ferguson, J.C. 2005. Effects of budbreak temperature on seasonal shoot and fruit growth in grapevines. Acta Horticulturae. 689:183-188. Lee, J., Durst, R., Wrolstad, R. 2005. Determination of total monomeric anthocyanin pigment content of fruit juices, beverages, natural colorants, and wines by the pH differential method: collaborative study. Journal of Association of Official Analytical Chemists International. 88(5):1269-1278. Lee, J., Durst, R., Wrolstad, R. 2005. Aoac official method 2005.02: total monomeric anthocyanin pigment content of fruit juices, beverages, natural colorants, and wines by the pH differential method. In: Horowitz, H. editor. Official methods of analysis of AOAC International. 18th edition. Washington D.C.:AOAC. 2005.02. Wrolstad, R., Durst, R., Lee, J. 2005. Tracking color and pigment changes in anthocyanin products. Trends in Food Science and Technology. 16(9):423-428. Lee, J., Finley, J.W., Harnly, J.M. 2005. Effect of selenium fertilizer on free amino acid composition of broccoli (brassica oleracea cv. majestic) determinded by gas chromatography with flame ionization and mass selective detection. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 53:9105-9111. Lee, J., Harnly, J.M. 2005. Free amino acid and cysteine sulfoxide compostion of 11 garlic (allium sativum l.) cultivars by gas chromatography with flame ionization and mass selective detection. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 53:9100-9104. Gillerman, V., Wilkens, D., Shellie, K., Bitner, R. 2006. Geology and Wine 11. Terroir of Idaho's Western Snake River Plain, USA. GeoScience Canada. 33(1):37-48.