On Monday, December 1, 2025, the Chikumagawa Wine Valley Special Zone Liaison Council and JVA, the Japan Viticulture Association, will hold a lecture and training session for wine-grape growers and others in the Chikumagawa Wine Valley.
Here are the details.
About the Program
The event is the Tomi, Nagano session of JVA’s specialist and practical nationwide program at five venues on pruning, winter vineyard management and disease control, grounded in scientific knowledge. The Chikumagawa Wine Valley Special Zone Liaison Council is co-hosting the Tomi session to support local producers.
Associate Professor Mizuho Nita of Virginia Tech will serve as lecturer. The two-part program combines classroom lectures and field training on new control and management methods that integrate scientific knowledge with practical vineyard work as Japanese wine-grape cultivation becomes increasingly complex because of climate change and rising virus damage.
About the Field Training
The lecture will be held in a classroom at Tomi City Central Community Center, while the training session will take place in a wine-grape vineyard in Tomi.
Participants will observe grapevines in the field while learning practical methods that can be applied immediately, including removal of fallen leaves and pruning debris that can become infection sources and key precautions during pruning.
See the reference information below for details.
Reference
Event Overview
Date
Monday, December 1, 2025
① Lecture: 10:30–12:00 (Tomi City Central Community Center, classroom) *Reception from 10:00
② Training: 14:30–15:30 (wine-grape vineyard in Tomi) *Reception from 14:00
Venue
① Lecture: 2F classroom, Tomi City Central Community Center, 288-4 Agata, Tomi
② Training: Netsu Mido wine-grape district (meeting point: Wine Terrace Mido, 3300 Netsu, Tomi)
Content
Disease-prevention workshop for pruning
A lecture, field workshop and discussion on fungal diseases to consider during pruning and how to control them.
*Participants may attend only the lecture or only the training session.
Eligible Participants
Wine-industry personnel such as wineries and vineyards within the Chikumagawa Wine Valley Special Zone
*Producers outside the special zone are also welcome to inquire.
Lecturer
Mizuho Nita
Associate Professor, Virginia Tech
Specialist, Virginia Tech Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center
Ph.D. from Ohio State University; in current position since 2011.
Recent research focuses on grape viral diseases, ripe rot and predictive models for downy mildew.
Technical advisor to the Japan Viticulture Association.
Applications
Apply using method ① or ② below.
① To the Chikumagawa Wine Valley Special Zone Liaison Council
Complete the required information in the designated form and submit it to the secretariat.
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000069.000138832.html
② To JVA
Enter the required information in the form below.