Issue (Who cares and why?)
Nevada’s arid climate makes it hard for farmers to grow non-native crops. Many farmers in the state rely on alfalfa as their main crop. While alfalfa grows well in Nevada, it uses about 3.5 acre-feet of water per acre each season. That is, more than 1.1 million gallons of water for 1 acre of alfalfa. Nevada’s farmers need a crop that grows as reliably as alfalfa, but uses less of the state’s limited water supply. Researchers know that wine grapes use little water, but overcoming the challenges of Nevada’s harsh climate needed some serious help.
What has been done?
Over the past eleven years, the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) has established experimental vineyards in Reno, Minden/Gardnerville, Fernley, Fallon, and Yerington, Nevada to test regional micro-climates effects on grapes. UNR is using several different approaches to developing more stress tolerant wine grape (Vitis vinifera) plants including: adapting cultural practices; selecting for more tolerant plant cells; making hybrids of V. vinifera with more tolerant native North American species; and using genetic engineering technology to develop more hardy genotypes. To keep the public informed, the University of Nevada's Official Viticultural Newsletter has been released! This quarterly e-publication is intended to keep Nevada residents up to date on all information released by the University regarding its wine grape research program. Jason Evans UNR’s vineyard field manager is now aiding local growers just getting started.
Impact
The success of the UNR vineyard has generated considerable interest in nearby areas, with two commercial and numerous private vineyards. Miguel Henry a local economist recently determined that grapes are much more profitable than alfalfa in Nevada. That is, grown over a 10 year period both Chardonnay and Merlot can be highly profitable and based on Risk Analysis have a near 100% chance of positive return. Dr. Grant Cramer the lead scientist on the projects likes to point out that “The net profit on an acre of alfalfa is about $300, the net profit on a one-acre vineyard in Grand Junction, Colo., is $5,000.”