MI grape growing season heat accumulatiom

Climate and vineyard site selection

For maps with data about:
Growing season length
Growing season heat accumulation
Winter injury

Here are some of the non-climatic factors you'll want to consider in selecting a site:
Local relief (topography)
Current land use
Tourism
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Growing season heat accumulation

In-season crop development is governed by the magnitude and rate of heat accumulation, described by Growing Degree Days (GDD). In this figure, the numbers given are the mean number of base 50ºF GDDs accumulated between the last freezing temperatures of the spring and the first freezing temperatures of the fall. Grape varieties have different GDD requirements for full ripening. Sites may have greater or fewer GDD than this map suggests based on micro- and mesoclimatic variables. (See Extension Bulletin, Vineyard Establishment I E-2644 - view text, ordering information)

(Note: the totals in this figure are calculated using Baskerville-Emin, base 50 GDD). Data and maps prepared by Aaron Pollyea, Peter Kurtz, and Tracy Aichele, Michigan Climatological Resources Program, Michigan State University Department of Geography, based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Summary of the Day series (NOAA, 1952-2001).

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Funding for this web site provided by Project GREEEN, American Farmland Trust, EPA Region 5's Strategic Agricultural Initiative program, The National Foundation for IPM Education, the Center for Agricultural Partnerships and the MSU Integrated Pest Management Program
in collaboration with MSU Extension and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station.
Updated 10/29/07 Contact: J.N. Landis.