Niagara grapevines well-poised for fruitful growing season

Mar 25, 2025

With the first day of spring officially here and temperatures already hovering around 20° C, Niagara grape growers will be keeping a close eye on the temperature swings predicted in the weather forecast.

Jim Willwerth, Brock University assistant professor of biological sciences, says that grapevines in the region have overwintered well.

Growers’ attentions have now turned to being mindful of spring’s warmer daytime temperatures which can threaten the cold tolerance those vines built up during the winter dormancy period.

That’s because large fluctuations can also increase the threat of injury to buds, he says.

“Right now, our vines are staying winter hardy, the risk is that if we start getting very warm daytime temperatures in March, they might then lose hardiness quite rapidly,” says Willwerth.

Willwerth’s research conducted with Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) focuses on climate change and vine resiliency.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.