Register for the 2020 Grape Kickoff Webinar on April 23

Learn about early season grape management, pest, disease and weed management.

Grape vineyard at budbreak with blooming cherry orchard in the background
Grape vineyard at budbreak with blooming cherry orchard in the background. Photo by Mark Longstroth, MSU Extension.

Please join us for the 2020 kickoff to grape season! We are excited to offer the 2020 Grape Kickoff meeting online via Zoom on Thursday, April 23, 2020, from 1-4 p.m. Michigan State University Extension experts will cover early season topics for Michigan grape growers. Growers must register ahead of time for this webinar. Registration closes at midnight the day before the webinar (April 22) so don’t miss out! Participants will receive a Zoom link the morning of the webinar and will need to download Zoom to their computer or smartphone to access the webinar. The online format allows grape growers from all over Michigan and the Midwest to attend the meeting without leaving their homes.

Register for 2020 Grape Kickoff Webinar

Agenda

  • 1:00 – 1:15 p.m. – Introduction, 2019 Season Recap, Katherine East, MSU Extension
  • 1:15 – 1:40 p.m. – Early season insect pests, Rufus Isaacs, MSU Dept. of Entomology
  • 1:40 – 2:05 p.m. – Early season disease management, Nancy Sharma, MSU Dept. of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences
  • 2:05 – 2:10 p.m. – Break
  • 2:10 – 2:35 p.m. – Early season vine management, Paolo Sabbatini, MSU Dept. of Horticulture
  • 2:35 – 2:55 p.m. – Vineyard fertilization, Mark Longstroth, MSU Extension
  • 2:55 – 3:00 p.m. – Break
  • 3:00 – 3:25 p.m. – Weather outlook, Jeff Andresen, MSU Dept. of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences
  • 3:25 – 3:50 p.m. – Weed management update on Concord Grapes, Sushila Chaudhari, MSU Dept. of Horticulture
  • 3:50 – 4:00 p.m. – Wrap-Up, RUP credits

Three Michigan Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) applicator recertification credits for private and commercial fruit (1C) will be available for this meeting. Webinar participants will receive a post-webinar survey to complete, which captures their RUP credentials and confirms their attendance.

If Zoom is new to you, the MSU Extension fruit team has put together a series of articles on downloading Zoom and participating in Zoom webinars for the spring tree fruit webinar series. These can help you navigate through the ins and outs of Zoom, even though some specifics may be different for the Grape Kickoff Webinar.

Due to current travel restrictions and safety guidelines, MSU Extension has modified how we work with our clientele. We will still provide the information and resources you need, just in different ways than we have in the past.

Per the governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order and MSU guidelines, MSU is allowing only essential travel and halted non-essential on- and off-campus research activities until further notice, including in-person group meetings such our tradition grower meetings. So, we are moving our meetings online. We will be still be assisting grape growers through phone calls, text, video chat, and email.

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