Assistant Professor Megan Bartlett teaches VEN 110, Grapevine Growth and Physiology, during the winter quarter. The goal of this course is to give students the understanding of grapevine biology they will need to tackle the challenges of vineyard management.  

Plant physiology is the study of how plants carry out the biochemical and physical functions that sustain life. This includes how plants capture light, water, nutrients, and carbon dioxide and convert those resources into growth and fruit development. VEN 110 uses these fundamental mechanisms to explain how and why vine growth, yield, and berry quality respond to environmental conditions, including drought, heat, and cold stress, and management practices, including trellising, pruning, irrigation, fertilization, and rootstock selection. The course addresses questions like: why is climate change making wine more alcoholic? What rootstock characteristics make vines demand less irrigation? What are cutting-edge precision viticulture techniques measuring about grapevines? VEN 110 will also give students an understanding of the biology behind how major management practices work. In their careers, students will be able to apply this knowledge to ‘hack’ grapevine biology to adapt to new challenges and meet their goals as viticulturists and winemakers. 

The course is currently being delivered over Zoom but will hopefully return to in-person lectures later this quarter.