Viticulture

Christopher Chen, UC Cooperative Extension integrated vineyard systems advisor for Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties, works to ensure that the vineyards that produce the region’s world-renowned wines can thrive amid the challenges of climate change, wildfires and water scarcity.

In the winegrape vineyards of northern California, fire and its associated smoke pose a unique threat in the form of smoke-taint damage to the fruit. A preliminary study looks at whether prescribed burning as a fire prevention method poses a risk to winegrape crops.

How can farmers and ranchers continue to grow our food while facing challenges of a changing climate, increasingly scarce water, land use pressures and rising costs? UC and UC ANR scientists are using surveys and interviews with people in the state's agricultural sector to learn what folks need to stay…