The annual meeting of the Washington State Grape Society, scheduled for November 15-16 in Grandview, will provide grape growers with a host of information, from federal grape research funding to labor saving technology to pest and disease control.

Keynote speaker is Dr. Sally Schneider of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research branch in Beltsville, Maryland, who will discuss grape research models from a national perspective. Vicky Scharlau, president of the National Grape and Wine Initiative, a coalition of the nation’s grape industry, will share the coalition’s goals of research, extension, and education.

Growers see and hear about robotic technology being developed to prune grapevines by Tony Koselka of Vision Robotics. Panel discussions will examine the effective use of labor versus mechanization while another will explore the economic future of juice grapes. Rounding out the program are talks on berry shrivel, grape powdery mildew, the Concord Sustainability Report Card, and an update on pest research, including the grape mealybug.

Visit the Grape Society website to register for the event.