Vineyard soils require adequate nutrients for growing healthy grapes, but testing plants for nutrients is a cumbersome, outdated process that takes considerable time and effort.

A four-year, $4.75 million Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) USDA-NIFA grant will fund a national team of researchers and extension educators to improve plant testing and fertilizer recommendations for grape growers.

“The fertilizer guidelines that were developed 50 years ago are outdated, and the industry needs to realize that relying on these old guidelines is not going to give them the best return on investment,” said Markus Keller, Chateau Ste. Michelle distinguished professor for WSU’s Viticulture & Enology program, and the project leader.

The current testing process often requires leaves or fruit tissue samples be sent to a lab. Results can take weeks, by which time it’s often too late to change nutrient supply for the current growing season. It can also be expensive and unpredictable.

“We want to give grape growers the chance to sample earlier, make decisions immediately, and be able to act on those decisions before the following growing year,” Keller said.

The High Resolution Vineyard Nutrient Management Project  includes 14 scientists from seven institutions across the US and Mendoza, Argentina. WSU researchers involved in the project include Qin Zhang, professor of Agricultural Automation, Manoj Karkee, associate professor for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems, Jim Harbertson, associate professor for Enology, and project manager Thomas Groenveld.

The team’s goals include plans to build remote sensors able to assess plant nutrient status from the air, and the creation of new guidelines on how to measure and adjust the nutrient status of grapevines.

Camera sensors mounted on a tractor driving up and down vineyard rows, or on a drone flying over the vineyard, might give growers near-real-time data. That would allow more informed decisions on what nutrients their grapevines need and where in a vineyard they are needed most, rather than sampling just one plant or section of a large vineyard plot.

“If we fertilize the entire vineyard as a one size fits all approach, it could lead to an imbalance in fertilization that could damage crops or end up polluting local groundwater,” said Keller. “We want to minimize the environmental impact while improving the quality of the fruit.”

The project’s social science and extension focus group sent a survey to grape industry stakeholders nationwide to see what growers are currently doing for vineyard nutrition. Despite less than 10% of their annual budgets being spent on vineyard nutrition, 75% of the over 300 respondents said soil nutrition was either ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ important’ for the yield and quality of wine and grape products.

“Macro nutrients like potassium and nitrogen allow vine growth and development. However, it can be hard to measure their presence in the plant, since the amount of nutrients can change during the season,” said Pierre Davadant, a PhD student at WSU and research assistant for Markus Keller’s lab.

Davadant, along with postdoctoral scientist Nataliya Shcherbatyuk, have collected scores of samples from commercial vineyards of wine and juice grapes for use in the study.

It will likely take a few years before results are available.

The team is fertilizing and observing blocks of Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Chardonnay grapes at cooperating Ste. Michelle Wine Estates vineyards from winter until harvest. They’ll ferment the grapes at the WSU Wine Science Center to study how differences in vine nutrient status affect wine quality.

The Auction of Washington Wines, Washington State University, and all Washington state wine grape growers and wineries through the Washington State Wine Commission provided seed money for the project to help leverage support of USDA-NIFA and continue to provide supplemental support for the project.

To learn more about the vineyard nutrition project, visit the . Visit WSU’s  to learn more about the V&E program.

PROSSER, Wash. – Washington State University researchers are part of a team of west coast university collaborators that received a $7.6 million grant to study the impact of smoke exposure on grapes, a project that will provide critical knowledge to grape growers and winery owners in Washington severely impacted by widespread wildfire smoke in recent years.

Washington State University researchers will work with scientists at Oregon State University and the University of California, Davis, on the four-year project, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative.

“This project really ties together our ongoing state-based research programs into a strong, coordinated effort up and down the west coast,” said Tom Collins, assistant professor at Washington State University, and on the project.

Washington is the second-largest wine producing state in the U.S., with over 1,000 wineries that produce over 17 million cases of wine each year, contributing to $8.4 billion in annual in-state economic impact, according to the .

Grape exposure to wildfire smoke can compromise the quality and value of wine grapes, and adversely affect the final wine. Wildfire season has been especially devastating for the west coast, where California, Oregon, and Washington are three of the .

In the wake of the challenging 2020 vintage, the grape and wine industry on the west coast want to better understand how smoke density and composition impact grapes, grape vines, wine composition and sensory perception of the wine in a glass. The research team is calling this a “smoke to glass” understanding.

Goals for the grant build on  Collins has been doing this summer with , such as installing low-cost sensors and sensor networks in commercial vineyards throughout central Washington, and experimenting with barrier sprays for fruit to reduce or eliminate smoke uptake into grapes.

The team of west coast researchers will work to assess the impact of smoke exposure on the health of grapes and grapevines, and how to optimize rapid small-batch fermentation to better predict what wine impacted by wildfire smoke will taste like.

Collins said in the early years, there were only three or four researchers in the U.S. working on smoke exposure. “Now we have a really substantial team to work through these challenges. This grant really brings the resources that are going to make significant headway,” he said.

Creating wine is a balancing act between the quality of harvested grapes and the types of microorganisms that ferment grape juice. Too much sugar during the fermentation process means too much alcohol in the final wine, which can negatively affect wine flavor.

“We hope that if we find a way to reduce the sugar content of grape juice, winemakers can have a more predictable outcome for their wine,” said Jonathan Brumley, a rising WSU senior studying food science with an emphasis in fermentation.Researchers from Washington State University’s school of food science are working with non-Saccharomyces yeast strains native to Washington to find a way to reduce sugar content before fermentation.

“A recent challenge many winemakers have been facing is the higher sugar levels found in harvested grapes,” said Heather Carbon, graduate research assistant for the WSU School of Food Science.

More sugar means more food for yeast, which does not always yield better wine. Yeast creates alcohol by feeding on sugar, but too much can produce too much alcohol or leave left over sugar for spoilage microorganisms to eat.

Those microorganisms can sometimes cause strange odors and other problems that compromise the wine. The hope for this study is that a yeast species on grapes can consume some of the residual sugar without damaging the quality of the product.

“The secret of microorganisms is their ability to dramatically shape and change the flavors of wine, allowing producers to differentiate wines from one another,” said Charles Edwards, WSU professor and food scientist.

WSU senior Jonathan Brumley is researching the possible benefits of wild Washington yeast at the WSU St. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center at ���سԹ�.

Historically, many of the native yeast species present on grapes were thought to be the cause of a spoiled batch of wine.

“We now know that some of these yeasts can be used to enhance wine quality, but without spoilage issues,” said Edwards.

“It’s been cool to get a look into the wine industry side of food science. Working with microbes fascinates me,” said Brumley, who plans to intern this summer with E & J Gallo Winery in Bellevue, Wash.

The team is trying different combinations of native yeast to find which combinations reduce the sugar content of grape juices during fermentation.

“We’re looking at what conditions are best for these yeast strains, what conditions they grow well in, and how to use that to the best of our abilities,” said Carbon.

Edwards said a big win for this project would be the discovery of a yeast strain that could be used like a tool, so winemakers could lower the potential alcohol content of their final wine during fermentation. This would be another way to help vintners keep the developed flavors of their wine consistent.

“Many winemakers use water to lower the alcohol content of wine, but having options in the winemaking industry is crucial,” he said.

This research is funded by Washington State University, Auction of Washington Wines and all Washington State wine grape growers and wineries through the Washington State Wine Commission.

The team plans to do larger ferments in the fall, with research results available next spring.

Discover more about the world of wine research in Washington state by���ٴ���. Each e-newsletter issue features articles about the latest scientific discoveries, vineyard agriculture, and wine science research from Washington State University’s Viticulture & Enology program.

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Bernadette Gagnier hadn’t found her ideal career path post life in the U.S. Marine Corps until she discovered that Washington State University Tri-Cities had a wine science program.

Gagnier served in the Marine Corps for five years, where she traveled the world, made life-long friends and overall enjoyed her experience.

“But when I got out, I hit a wall and I didn’t know what I wanted to do after that,” she said.

She enrolled in a community college in western Washington, intending to major in nursing, but realized that the path wasn’t for her. After searching the internet for what else would be a good fit, she found ���سԹ�’ Viticulture and Enology program, where students can study the science of wine, winemaking and how to grow wine grapes and manage grapevines.

“I have a hippie heart and my friends call me a plant mama,” she said. “Wine science seemed like a perfect fit.”

So on the last day to drop classes, she left. A week later, she found herself touring the ���سԹ� campus and decided to transfer.

“Most of the students were serious about their classes, had already declared their major and the average age was 25, and I really liked that,” she said.

She said transferring to ���سԹ� was one of the best decisions she’s made to date.

Learning to grow grapes and make wine

Through her viticulture and enology courses, Gagnier is gaining hands-on exposure in the

vineyards and the winery. Learning from professors who are passionate about what they do, she said she is receiving a world-class education.

Pair that with the ���سԹ� residing in Washington wine country and being able to study at the university’s Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center, which features state-of-the-art equipment, she said she couldn’t imagine picking a better place to attend college.

“We live in one of the best places in the country to grow wine grapes,” she said. “WSU has a nationally-acclaimed wine science program. It’s been a fantastic experience.”

Career experiences while still in school

Since coming to ���سԹ� and declaring her major in wine science, Gagnier has already had the opportunity to work in multiple local vineyards and in a tasting room, learning more about the industry through hands-on experiences, even alongside fellow WSU Cougs.

She said her career experience in the vineyard and in the tasting room pair perfectly with her classes.

With her goal of becoming a viticulturist and specializing in the program for vineyard management, she said there are really few other places that would be able to accommodate her goals with the same hands-on experiences.

“I really found my place and my people here,” she said. “We’re one big family. And then I can go out into the world and work with my other family – my other fellow Cougs in the industry.”

Premier Washington Wine

Washington is currently the second largest producer of wine grapes in the nation and the Tri-Cities was recently highlighted as “” by CNN.

With its 300 sunny days per year, its dry growing season, its soil type and ideal daytime air and soil temperatures, it makes it perfect for grape growing.

Combine that with the Northwest’s passion for wine and wine terroir, or tourism pertaining to the climate and growing factors that make for premier wine products, Gagnier said it’s the perfect place to study wine science.

For those who would like to go into the business side of wine and wine-related tourism, ���سԹ� also offers a wine and beverage business management degree program and hospitality business management program – one of the top programs in the country, in addition to a degree in business administration.

“It’s rare that a university offers all of these degree programs in one place,” she said.

Future in wine

After graduating from ���سԹ�, Gagnier said she hopes to land a position as a vineyard manager locally in the Tri-Cities region.

“It’s my dream to be well-respected in the field and to have a successful career with in the wine industry,” she said. “���سԹ� is helping me get there. I’d say if you’re serious about continuing your education, you have to check this place out. You’re not going to be disappointed.”

For more information on ���سԹ�’ wine science degree program, visit .