The European VitiGEOSS project has developed an innovative smart platform featuring digital tools for precision viticulture which drive more sustainable vineyard management and the crop’s resilience to climate change which the Eurecat technology centre is showcasing at Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona.

“We have developed a single platform which farmers and other service providers can use to optimise viticulture sustainability and in-field management tasks by tapping decision support systems,” says Rosa Araujo, VitiGEOSS Project Coordinator and Project Manager at Eurecat.

“Our goal is to leverage artificial intelligence and new technologies to contribute to better resource management and help the farmer to be better prepared to address extreme weather events and shift towards more drought-resilient viticulture.”

The innovative VitiGEOSS solution for running wine holdings combines technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, remote sensing, drones, satellite Earth observation services and in-field sensors to deliver useful forecasts, recommendations and indicators designed to enhance agricultural management and sustainability.

“The VitiGEOSS platform compiles and integrates data on long-term weather forecasts up to three months in advance, predictions about crop phenology stages and indicators concerning plant physiology and the specific amount of water required for successful vineyard performance,” adds Xavier Domingo, director of Eurecat’s Applied Artificial Intelligence Unit.

The tools built into the solution also enable early detection of diseases in vines plus generating alerts to apply preventive treatments based on the level of risk for further spread so as to adjust the specific amount needed. It thus enables informed decision-making, more sustainable management and adaptation to new situations brought about by climate change.

The smart platform has been validated with the wineries Familia Torres in Catalonia, Symington in Portugal and Mastroberardino in Italy and is now available in demo mode for other interested wineries.

The digital solution also makes it possible to monitor crop yields on a week-by-week basis while helping to reduce operating costs and the environmental impact of wine-growing activities.

Here it also has a task planning optimisation tool to manage field work in the vineyard, such as harvesting, which generates recommendations founded on the equipment and resources available in order to prioritise sustainability and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The VitiGEOSS project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme and its consortium is made up of nine partners from Spain, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands. They include three research and technology organisations (the Eurecat technology centre, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the LINKS Foundation), a university (the University of Naples Federico II), an SME (eLEAF), a consultancy firm (PwC) and three wineries (Familia Torres, Symington and Mastroberardino).

You can check out the VitiGEOSS platform here.