Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/31248
Moreover, the creators of the program said they intend to extend the program across the continental United States. On the fertile, well-watered soils of the Midwest, lots of farmers jostle for space to grow crops of all kinds. And while Indiana is not known as a wine producer, one pushpin near Bloomington, Indiana, belongs to Creekbend Vineyard and This 50-acre Creekbend Vineyard planting is surrounded on three sides by field crops. It’s registered on the Pesticide Sensitive Crops and Habitats Registry at www.driftwatch.org. GRAPE GROWERS worry about herbicide drift B ernie Parker, the vineyard man- ager at Creekbend Vineyard and Oliver Winery, got an e-mail from Bruce Bordelon, the viticulture and small fruit specialist at Purdue University, telling him about DriftWatch. “We’ve never had any problems with pesticide drift,” Parker said. “But ten years ago, 2,4-D drift wiped out the whole crop of one of our neigh- bors. So I got our vineyard on the map as a sensitive site.” Creekbed Vineyard is a 50-acre vineyard planted in 1994 and sur- rounded on three sides by field crops. “They aren’t huge farms, and they use ground application, so they see our grapes,” Parker said. “We’ve had good relations and no problems.” Grapes are sensitive to 2,4-D, a herbicide used to kill broadleaf weeds. It could be more widely used in the future if crops are developed that will tolerate it, and such crops are in development. “At flowering time, 2,4-D will burn up the flowers on the grapes,” Parker said. “At other times, it will shock the plants and stunt growth. Glyphosate can shock grapes, too, and deform the growing tips.” Parker’s interest goes well beyond the vineyard he manages. That 50 acres, owned by Oliver Winery, pro- vides about 2 percent of the grapes it crushes. Oliver Winery buys the remaining grapes for its 270,000-case annual production. The winery was started in 1960 by the Oliver family, which still manages it. The employ- ees share the ownership. It is one of the largest wineries in the eastern United States. “There are only about 500 acres of wine grapes in Indiana,” Parker said, “but it’s a growing industry.” Indiana growers have had good success with Traminette, a cool-climate white wine grape resulting from a Cornell University cross with Gewurztra - miner as one parent. Oliver Winery buys grapes from many sources and lists 42 wines on its wine list. —R. Lehnert www.goodfruit.com There’s nothing cool about culls. Sunburn and heat stress can wreak havoc on a crop. And the resulting losses can cut deep into a grower’s profi t. Stop the losses with Purshade’s Advanced Refl ectance Technology™. Developed by the experts in solar stress prevention, Purshade® protectants are easy to apply and remove, and have been scientifi cally engineered to protect crops from harmful radiation without interfering with photosynthesis. The result? Less sunburn, cooler plants, and better packouts. Don’t get burned! Protect your crops with Purshade and see why it has become the brand of choice for conventional and organic growers around the globe. ©2011 Purfresh, Inc. All rights reserved. Purfresh, the Purfresh logo, Purshade, the Purshade logo, and the “Purify, Protect, Preserve.” tagline are trademarks or registered trademarks of Purfresh, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Say no to future damage and losses — Spray Purshade today! For more information call 1.877.668.0303 or visit www.purshade.com/goodfruit GOOD FRUIT GROWER MAY 15, 2011 9