SCHUMER LAUNCHES PUSH TO SECURE FED FUNDING FOR GRAPE GENETICS RESEARCH UNIT TO DEVELOP NEW, CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES TO REVOLUTIONIZE NEW YORK’S GRAPE & WINE INDUSTRIES AND SPUR ECONOMIC GROWTH IN FINGER LAKES REGION

The Finger Lakes Region Has Thriving Grape And Wine Industries; The Grape Genetics Research Unit, in Geneva, NY, A Driving Force Of Innovation In The Field, Must Be Modernized 

Schumer Is Pushing For A Critical USDA Investment In Geneva Agriculture Experiment Station Lab That Will Allow Researchers To Continue Developing New Technologies That Could Increase Production And Create New, Good-Paying Jobs In The Finger Lakes Region 

Schumer: Let’s Not Leave Grape Genetics Research Unit On The Vine

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer today urged the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agriculture Research Service (ARS) to provide a robust investment in new equipment for the Grape Genetics Research Unit (GGRU) in Geneva, NY. Schumer said upgrades to the GGRU’s technology are necessary to ensure researchers have the state-of-the-art tools needed to respond to the research needs of a rapidly-changing grape and wine industry. Specifically, Schumer said researchers at the laboratory need new sensing equipment and increased computing capacity so they are better equipped to help growers with the development of new, innovative strategies  to transform the grape and wine industries and spur production across New York.

“We must not leave the Grape Genetics Research Unit on the vine. The grape industry drives incredible growth in New York State, providing $4.8 billion in economic benefits and supporting thousands of good-paying jobs in the Finger Lakes Region. The outstanding ARS researchers at the GGRU are working diligently to revolutionize this industry. It is vital that the federal government invest in its own scientific workforce and provide them with the necessary resources to keep pace with innovative, state-of-the-art technologies,” said Senator Schumer. “That is why I am urging the ARS to approve this funding to ensure that GGRU researchers are properly equipped to continue their vital research that modernizes agricultural methods for growers in Upstate New York and for the nation.”

“As Senator Schumer points out, grapes are an exceptional success story for New York agriculture. Whether it’s the Cayuga White for wine or the Concord for juice, jellies and other products, New York grape farmers have played a role in developing hundreds of products that enrich our everyday lives,” said Kathryn J. Boor, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. “But we cannot take our success for granted. Consumer habits and the competitive marketplace continuously evolve. To stay competitive, this industry needs help from institutions like CALS and the GGRU in addressing increasingly challenging problems. That requires investment. We commend Senator Schumer for recognizing this challenge and thank him for tireless advocacy.”

To address the needs of scientists and researchers, Schumer called on the USDA and ARS to invest in mobile and static digital data sensors and robotic tools on field-mounted vineyard equipment for the GGRU. Schumer said this equipment would help enable scientists to collect real-time data on crop canopy, insect and disease pressure, and water and nutrient stress. Additionally, digital sensors, working in combination with new varieties of pest- and disease-management systems developed at Geneva, would allow scientists to provide growers with integrated digital management systems to create economic and environmental efficiencies.

Schumer also said ARS must invest in increased computational capacity for the GGRU. This is necessary to fully utilize the data generated from the digital sensing systems, and allow for the development of models that can be deployed by commercial vineyard growers in New York and beyond. 

Schumer said the GGRU, co-located on the Cornell AgriTech campus at the New York State Agriculture Experiment Station, is one of the ARS’ most productive, collaborative, and innovative research programs. Schumer said the collaboration between federal scientists and Cornell faculty, researchers, and extension associates has helped spur exponential growth in the grape and wine industry in New York State and across the country. Schumer added that with more than 1,630 family vineyards, 400 wineries, and almost 40,000 acres of cropland, the New York grape crop alone is valued at over $52 million and generates $4.8 billion in economic benefits annually for New York State, thus, continued growth and research is critical. 

A copy of Senator Schumer’s letter to the USDA appears below.

Dear Dr. Jacobs-Young:

I am writing to encourage the Agriculture Research Service to provide a robust investment in modern sensing equipment and increased computing capacity at the Grape Genetics Research Unit (GGRU) in Geneva, NY. Upgrades to the GGRU’s technology are necessary to ensure that these very productive scientists have sufficient resources to respond to the research needs of a rapidly-changing grape and wine industry.

The GGRU, co-located on the Cornell AgriTech campus at the New York State Agriculture Experiment Station, is one of the ARS’s most productive, collaborative, and innovative research programs. The collaboration between federal scientists and Cornell faculty, researchers, and extension associates has helped spur exponential growth in the grape and wine industry in New York state and across the country. With more than 1,630 family vineyards, 400 wineries, and almost 40,000 acres of cropland, the New York grape crop alone is valued at over $52 million and generates $4.8 billion in economic benefits annually for New York state. 

Work at the GGRU has improved grape quality, variety, productivity, weather tolerance, and disease resistance, all to the benefit of grape growers, wine makers, and the industry. Indeed, ARS recognized the significance of the work at Geneva when it designed and approved plans for a state-of-the-art replacement facility in 2003-04. Nearly $15 million – about half the total needed for construction – was appropriated before Congress rescinded these funds in 2011. The grape genetics laboratory at Geneva currently sits midway down the long list of facilities slated for replacement pursuant to the ARS Capital Investment Strategy. 

While ARS works its way through the backlog of construction, Cornell University recently moved the GGRU into a newly renovated lab at the Cornell AgriTech campus in Geneva. The relocation is not intended to take the place of a new lab, but will help to ensure that ARS scientists remain fully integrated into the grape research occurring at Cornell and to address some of their infrastructure needs. While this Cornell-renovated space is a vast improvement over the old facility, the laboratory still needs upgraded equipment to keep pace with the digital revolution in plant breeding and crop management.

To address these needs, I urge you to invest in mobile and static digital data sensors and robotic tools on field-mounted vineyard equipment for the GGRU. This equipment would enable scientists to collect real time data on crop canopy, insect and disease pressure, and water and nutrient stress. Digital sensors, working in combination with new varieties and pest- and disease-management systems developed at Geneva, would allow scientists to provide growers with integrated digital management systems to create economic and environmental efficiencies. At the same time, ARS must also invest in increased computational capacity for the GGRU. This is necessary to fully utilize the data generated from the digital sensing systems and allow for the development of models that can be deployed by commercial vineyard growers in New York and beyond.

I look forward to working with you on this important project. 

Charles E. Schumer
U.S. Senator

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