Development of VIT 04, 22, 23, + Practicum
VIT04
Focus: safe operation and management of vineyard equipment (tractors/implements, mobile equipment), hearing conservation, heat stress prevention, and confined‐space awareness in viticulture. Major risks include PTO entanglement, tractor rollovers, hazardous noise, thermal exposure, and confined space hazards (tanks/bins/mobile equipment) ( tractor rollovers & PTO hazards; ROPS/seatbelts; risk assessment factors ; hearing loss risks & indicators ; heat stress program steps ; confined space identification & controls ).
VIT22
Discover the foundations of cool-climate grape growing. You’ll explore cultivar, clone, and rootstock selection; vine anatomy and growth; and the practices that shape balanced vines—pruning, seasonal operations, and basic yield estimation. Build practical literacy in soils and site considerations and learn to recognize common pests and diseases to inform first-line responses. Designed for new and transitioning growers. Learn core viticulture concepts for cool-climate production: cultivar/clone/rootstock selection; grapevine organs and functions across roots, trunk, canopy; pruning and training fundamentals; seasonal phenology with basic lag-phase yield estimation; propagation; source–sink dynamics and stress physiology including cold injury; soils for drainage/fertility decisions; and identification of common pests and diseases with introductory IPM framing.
VIT23
- Instructor: Eugene Kovalenko