New Cornell Cooperative Extension specialist will aid grape growers
Area grape growers will be able to take advantage of the knowledge offered by a new viticulture and wine specialist hired by the Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
James Meyers was hired to serve a 17-county region in the eastern part of the state, which includes Columbia, Dutchess, Greene and Ulster counties, the Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program announced in a press release last week. Meyers will provide grape growers in the region with a combination of on-theground grape production assistance and some high-flying technology through the use of a drone.
Laura McDermott, a small fruit and vegetable specialist for the Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program, said in May that the group had two different people trying to help grape growers on a part-time basis. She said a full-time viticulture specialist was sought because the demand for such a specialist has grown.
According to an October report from the group, the Eastern New York region has seen a 34 percent increase in the number of grape-growing operations and a 50 percent increase in acres under cultivation to produce grapes from 2007 to 2012.
Meyers earned his doctorate in viticulture at Cornell University and has applied a master’s degree in computer science from Brown University to his viticultural research, the release said. Using satellite imaging and drone technology, he has mapped canopy and vineyard variability to help growers in the Finger Lakes region and in the state of California to optimize the efficiency and profitability of their vineyard operations.
Meyers aims to bring that technology to his new position.
“Images taken by a dronemounted camera can be used to identify areas of inconsistency in a vineyard and create variability maps to guide ground level assessments of vine performance for potential remediation, such as soil amendments, canopy management activities, or rootstock changes,” Meyers said in a statement. “This technology can also be used to add harvesting and processing efficiency.”
Meyers will create and develop an Eastern New York geospatial database of vine performance that will help growers better understand their local climates, track vineyard performance, and adjust decision making for greater productivity and profitability, the release said.