Winegrape Growing in Texas
Andrew LabayViticulture Program SpecialistTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Fredericksburg, [email protected]
Texas Wine Industry• Franciscan monks first brought
winegrapes to Texas in the 17th
century1
• Significant growth during the last 10 – 15 years
• 2012 USDA Census: + 7,000 acres3
• 700 growers; 350 wineries4
• Currently estimated to contribute nearly $2 billion to Texas economy2
• Texas Hill Country is #2 Wine destination in the U.S. behind Napa
• Growth of wineries outpacing production acreage
• Disease, Weather, Labor remain challenges
Photo credits: Texas Hill Country Wineries Association
William Chris Vineyards
Pedernales Cellars
Hill Country Varietal Survey - 2014
• Results from 56 vineyards (estimated 65 – 70 total)• 585 acres (estimated 650-700 total acres)• 80% of acreage is red varieties; 20% white varieties• 29 different red varieties; 20 different whites• Average vineyard size: 10 acres
Hill Country Varietal SurveyVariety Acres Number of Vineyards
Tempranillo 76 23Cabernet Sauvignon 71 22
Merlot 59.8 15Syrah 56.92 18
Sangiovese 30 11Malbec 22.5 8
Mourvedre 19.45 12Petite Sirah 18.85 9
Touriga Nacional 17.5 8Grenache 15.2 11
Tannat 12.3 7Lenoir (Black Spanish) 11.9 6
Petit Verdot 10.75 5Aglianico 8.65 6
Montepulciano 6.64 5Alicante Bouschet 5.25 3
Barbera 4.85 3Nebbiolo 3.4 2
Others (14.7 acres): Graciano PrimativoNero d’AvolaSouzaoTinta cao, CharbanoSagrantinoRuby Cabernet Tinta AmarelaCinsaultDolcetto
Hill Country Varietal SurveyVariety Acres Number of Vineyards
Chardonnay 19.8 7Sauvignon Blanc 18.4 4
Pinot Gris 14.92 6Riesling 11.2 1Muscat 10.66 7Viogner 8.35 6
Rousanne 4.95 4Chenin Blanc 4.75 4Blanc du Bois 4.4 4
Piquepoul Blanc 4 1Albarino 3.4 3
Vermentino 3.4 2Semillon 3.25 3
Arinto 2.3 1Pinot Blanc 2 1
Gewurztraminer 1.2 1Marsanne 0.65 1Scheurebe 0.6 1
Trebbiano Toscono 0.5 1Muller-Thurgau 0.4 1
Image credit: Dr. Greg Cobb
Texas Wineries (2010)
Texas Wine Grape Growing Regions
1. High Plains2. North Texas3. Gulf Coast4. Hill Country
Region 1 - High Plains• Vitis vinifera• Climate and soil:
• Dry, windy summers and relatively cool summer nights
• Good soil – deep sandy/loam over calcareous fine textured base
• Risk of hail and severe freeze/frost injury
• Relatively inexpensive land • Abundant farming experience• Lowered disease risks• Not close to wineries Photo credits: Jim Kamas
Region 2 – North Texas
• Vitis vinifera and hybrids• Proximity to Dallas/Ft. Worth• Diverse soils – alkaline to acidic,
coarse to fine textured• Similar conditions/challenges as
compared to Hill Country• Disease, Frost/Freeze, Hail, Salty water
• Defining characteristic for the region?• East Texas – high rainfall greatly
increases disease risks, though good soil and great water quality
Photo credits: Michael Cook
Region 3 – Gulf Coast and South Texas• Climate and soils:
• High rainfall• Deep, fertile soils• Warm, humid summer nights• Lower freeze/frost risk• Long growing season
• Increased vigor, disease and difficulty ripening certain varieties
• High Pierce’s disease risk – only tolerant varieties used
• Blanc du Bois (white)• Black Spanish / Lenoir (red)
• Tropical rain risk – disease and risk of berry split
Photo credit: Lorri Jones
Region 4 - Hill Country• Vitis vinifera and some hybrids• Climate and Soil:
• Variable weather – between the humid Gulf Coast and dry West Texas
• Shallow, alkaline clay. Limestone
• Travel destination - within 1 hour drive of 3 million people
• Proximity to wineries• PD and CRR Risk Now
Appears Somewhat Manageable
• High Cost of Land• Very Limited Labor Pool• Frost & Freeze Still a Risk
Challenges in Grape Growing
Photo credit: Jim Kamas
Frost Injury
Nutrient Deficiencies
Pierce’s disease
Cotton Root Rot
Fruit and Foliar DiseaseFungal Trunk
Disease
Image source: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r302100611.html
Challenges to Growing Grapes in Texas1974 - A Feasibility Study for Grape Production in Texas
Photo credit: Jim Kamas
• Risks• Disease:
• Pierce’s disease - #1 limitation• Cotton root rot• Foliar and trunk fungal disease
• Soil variability• Climate variability• Freeze/Hail Probability• Water Quantity & Quality Ron Perry, Instructor & Research
Associate in Hort. Sciences Department
Pierce’s Disease
• Causative agent: Xylella fastidiosa, a gram negative xylem-limited bacteria
• Endemic to the South Eastern U.S.• Vectored by xylem sap feeding insects (i.e. sharpshooter,
leafhopper insects)• Pathogen forms biofilms and occludes vascular tissue• In order to manage PD in Texas vineyards:
• Understand the pathogen and disease cycle• Know your risk of PD • Follow recommended practices per region
(discussed in the following slides)Photos: Electron MircroscopyLaboratory, U.C. Berkley
Cuerna costalis
10 mm
Oncometopia orbona
12 mm
Over 36 species of competent vectors identified in Texas, though the number varies by area of the state
Homalodisca vitripennis
12 mm
Paraulacizes irrorata
10mm
Proconiini
Graphocephala coccinea
10 mm
Draeculacephala navicula
8 mm
CicadelliniXyphon flaviceps
6 mm 4 mm
Ciminius harti
Photos: L. Lauziere
Pierce’s Disease Vectors
Pierce’s Disease Cycle Overview
Acquisition and Transmission via xylem sap feeding insect vectors
Colonization of X. fastidiosa via cell-to-cell movement within xylem tissue
Xylem occlusion in susceptible plants via biofilm formation and/or tyloses
Photo credit: Jim Medley
Concepts and diagram from: Chatterjee (2008)
Marginal Scorching of LeavesLeaf blade abscission while petioles retained: ‘matchsticks’
Photo credit (bottom left and right): Jim Kamas
Irregular Periderm Formation: ‘green islands’
Late season collapse of clusters/shoots
Confirmation via laboratory testing: plantclinic.tamu.edu
Pierce’s Disease Symptoms
July 05
August 04
July 03
Maps of Disease Progress in a Viognier VineyardDuring 2003 -2005
David Appel, 2006Texas PD Symposium
Pierce’s Disease Risk
Image source: R. Perry (1974) A Feasibility Study for Grape Production in Texas and Kamas et. al. (2012) Pierce’s Disease Overview and Management Guide
• Susceptible– V. labrusca, V. vinifera, Certain
French/American Hybrids • Resistant
– M. rotundifolia , V. arizonica…• Tolerant
– ‘Black Spanish’, ‘Blanc du Bois’, ‘Victoria Red’, ‘Miss Blanc’, ‘Herbemont’, certain Munson varieties, and wild Vitis species native to the southeastern United States
Grape Variety Selection
In areas of extremely high PD probability, the use of disease tolerant/resistant varieties is strongly recommended
Pierce’s Disease
• Site selection – choose sites without perennial vegetation and away from riparian zones
• Create a buffer zone and remove supplemental hosts• Monitor for insect vectors• Use neonicotinoid insecticides (Imidacloprid)• Have excellent vineyard floor management• Learn PD symptoms and use laboratory testing for confirmation
(plantclinic.tamu.edu)• Rouge infected vines
Reference: Pierce’s Disease Overview & Management Guide (http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/files/2010/10/Texas-Grape-Growers-PD-Management-Guide.pdf)
Pierce’s Disease has been effectively managed in areas of moderate to low disease probability by following recommended practices:
Pierce’s Disease Management
Pierce’s disease has become manageable and Vitis vinifera is the dominant grape grown from the Hill Country to the High Plains,
but…
Now, the But…..
• Pierce’s disease is a cyclic disease
• How much do environmental factors affect the decrease in PD
• Neonicotinoid insecticides implicated in colony collapse
• Have we found the long-term solution???
Figure 12: Mean number of insects caught per year for vineyards which did not use Imidacloprid insecticide versus those that did. Error bars represent the 95% confidence interval.
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Mea
n #
Inse
cts /
Tra
p Da
y Insecticide
No Insecticide
Grape Breeding as a Long-term Strategy
Thomas Volney Munson• 1843 - 1913• Classification of American
grapevine species• +300 grape cultivars• Supplied France with
phylloxera tolerant rootstock material
Grape Breeding as a Long-term Strategy
From: T.V. Munson (1909). Foundations of American Grape Culture. Pg. 6.
Grape Breeding as a Long-term Strategy
Images source: USDA Forest Service
“Native species from areas where PD is severe appear to be most resistant to disease…”Jonathan J. Ruel and M. Andrew Walker (2006) Resistance to Pierce’s Disease in Muscadinia rotundifolia and Other Native Grape Species. Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 57:2.
Vitis mustangensis Vitis arizonica Muscadinia rotundifolia
Biotechnology and Grape Breeding
• Identification of resistance gene in Vitisarizonica (accession b43-17)
• Genetic mapping and SSR marker development for PdR1a and PdR1b
• Marker-assisted selection to backcross resistance gene with V. vinifera
• Selections of 88, 94 and 97% V. viniferaexpressing PD resistance genes developed
• Not GMO, traditionally bred with the aid of molecular techniques for selection
Photo credit: Micheal Barnes; http://californiaagriculture.ucanr.org/
Dr. M. Andrew WalkerGeneticist, U.C. Davis
Objective: Evaluation of existing and newly-bred PD tolerant grape varieties
PD Tolerant Variety Trial
Photo credit: Dr. George Ray McEachern
• T.V. Munson (Texas): ‘Bailey’, ‘Ben Hur’, ‘Carman’, ‘Delicatessen’, ‘Lomanto’, ‘Nitodal’, ‘Wine King’
• G. Alleweldt (Germany): ‘Phoenix’, ‘Orion’, ‘Sirius’• J. Moore/J. Clark (Arkansas): ‘Victoria Red’ (Ark.
1475, Ark 1400• J. Lu (Florida): D16-16-4, D16-13-1,D6-12-4, O44-
6-5, O47-3-7, A14-8-1, A24-6-6, C30-5-1, C30-7-1• A. Walker (California): U0502-10, U0502-20,
U0505-35, U0502-38, U0502-26, U0502-1, U0501-12
DATA COLLECTION:• PD tolerance: symptoms & bacterial titer• Vigor: pruning weights• Phenology: budbreak, flowering & veraison• Yield: No. clusters, harvest weight• Fruit chemistry: degrees Brix, pH & TA (g/L)• Wine quality: wine sensory panel• Additional observations: other disease
sensitivities, viticultural considerations etc.
OBJECTIVE:Evaluation of existing and newly-bred PD tolerant grape varieties (32 total)
PD Tolerant Variety Trial
Industry, TX
• Only minor scorch detected • Molecular testing via ELISA/PCR
Dr. Lisa Morano (University of Houston-Downtown)Dr. David Appel (Texas A&M AgrilifeExtension)
PD Tolerant Variety TrialPD Tolerant Variety Trial
PD Tolerance
Vict
oria
BD
B 35 26
NO
R 38 10 20
(-) C
ontr
ol
0.00
0.05
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.35
Grape Varieties
Abs
orba
nce
(650
nm)
PD Tolerant Variety Trial
Wine QualitySmall-scale (5 gal) representative lots
PD Tolerant Variety Trial
Sensory Assessment• U0502-38, U0502-10,
U0502-26, U0505-35• All 4 varieties have high
potential of providing an alternative to Lenoir
• All 4 red varieties scored low to moderate hybrid characteristics.
U0505-35June 15, 2012Industry, Texas
• Breeder: Dr. Andy Walker (UC Davis)• Parentage: A81-138 x ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’
U0505-35
Recommended: MicroVinification by Murli R. Dharmadhikhiri
Home Winemaking
PD Tolerant Varieties
Reds‘Black Spanish’ (‘Lenoir’, ‘Jacquez’)
‘Favorite’
Whites‘Blanc du Bois’
• Breeder: Munson (1902)• Parentage: Salado (V. champinii, V. labrusca,
V. bourquiniana) x Pense (V. vinifera?)
Lomanto
Victoria Red
Thank you!
• Jim Kamas• Dr. Justin Scheiner• Dr. Larry Stein• Dr. David Appel• Sheila McBride• Jacy Lewis• Beth McMahon• Yessica Garcia• David Smith
Austin County Grape Growers Association
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