At the 2008 Annual Meeting of the NDGGA, it was decided that, in order to
better understand the nutritional needs of grapes being grown in North
Dakota, the NDGGA would pay the lab fees for one complete grape petiole
tissue analysis for each member who chooses to submit a sample. The results
will be compiled and presented at next year's meeting.

Although the process may sound complicated, it really isn't bad. Here are
the guidelines for NDGGA members to use when submitting tissue samples:

There are two timeframes during the summer for sampling grape petioles: full
bloom and mid-summer (mid-July to early August). The normal range for each
nutrient depends on when the sample is taken.
Tissue samples should be taken from vines that are at least one year old,
but preferably older.
A sample should contain 100 petioles (the little "stem" that connects the
leaf blade to the shoot). If the variety has very small petioles, 150 or
200 petioles may be needed to ensure a sufficient amount of tissue for the
lab to analyze.
-if sampling at full bloom, collect the petiole opposite the first cluster.
-if sampling in mid-summer, collect the petiole from the most recently fully
expanded leaf. Collect no more than one petiole per shoot.
(If leaves in the vineyard are heavily dirt splashed or were treated with
foliar micronutrients since the last rain, quickly but gently wash the
sample with a mild detergent solution and double rinse with distilled or
deionized water. Pat dry with clean paper towels. Complete the wash process
within a minute to minimize nutrient leaching.)
Do not send the leaf blades, just the petioles.
Do not mix grape varieties in a sample because different varieties may have
different normal ranges for the various nutrients.
Do not mix petioles from parts of the vineyard with different vigor,
different soil types, different cover crop, mulch or tillage practices, or
different fertilizer history.
Avoid petioles from leaves that are damaged, diseased, or otherwise not
representative, unless that is all that is being sampled.
Do not wrap the sample in plastic; it may mold in transit.
Place the petioles in a folded sheet of paper or paper towel inside the
mailing envelope to prevent them from falling out through the vents during
shipping.

On the mailer, fill out Date Sampled, Grower Name and Address, Crop,
Variety, Irrigated or Dryland (check one), Growth Stage (full bloom,
veraison, etc.), Under Plant Part Sampled, check Petiole. Under Petiole
Analysis, check Complete Nutrient Analysis (the picture is of a potato leaf,
not a grape). The County, Field #, Section, Quarter, etc. are useful if you
have multiple sites for your vineyard, but are not required. VERY
IMPORTANT: Where it says Firm Submitting Samples, write either "NO1850" or
"ND Grape Growers".

Drop in the mail with correct postage.

You may also use a plain envelope. Include the information above and mail
to Agvise Laboratories; PO Box 510, Hwy 15; Northwood, ND 58267

You will not receive a hard copy from the lab, but you can view the results
by going to www.Agvise.com. On the left side of the screen, click Plant
Tissue.
For User Name, type "NO1850" in caps. For Password, in small letters type
"agvise". The results for all samples submitted will appear together and
everyone's results will be visible to everyone else. To print out only your
results, copy and paste them into a word document, for example, and print.

You may send your tissue samples to another lab, such as NDSU or MVTL, but
you will have to make arrangements with the NDGGA to be reimbursed for lab
fees.

If you have any questions please contact Greg