VITIPROD

Integrated system for monitoring and mapping production in hillside vineyards.

Description

Development of a new tool for detecting wine production, directly in the field, expressly designed to operate in hilly environments, such as those of many Piedmontese agricultural territories, where mechanical harvesting cannot be carried out.
In particular, an electric-powered self-propelled vehicle (with a pedestrian driver) has been developed to weigh the production concurrently with manual harvesting operations, including georeferencing the collected data and archiving it on a memory card. The vehicle is designed to operate on sloped terrain and in confined spaces, with a compact mass and size to ensure high maneuverability.
The loading platform is equipped with an automatic leveling system to allow the weighing of loaded products even on fairly steep slopes. At the end of the harvesting phase, the system automatically generates maps related to the collected data through a specially developed software platform, which can be immediately integrated with the company’s information system. The availability of this data, with such a high level of accuracy, is of great importance for assessing the effectiveness of various agricultural operations conducted in vineyards, as well as for planning and controlling subsequent actions.

Result to be enhanced

Precision agriculture technology, including viticulture, is developing increasingly useful products for the management and monitoring of agricultural operations.
In particular, many precision viticulture applications involve harvesters that, when suitably equipped, can perform crop sorting operations based on pre-established quality parameters, as well as measure yields. These capabilities provide clear advantages for operational management and for building and updating the company’s database. However, their adoption is often limited, for both technical and economic reasons, to medium-to-large enterprises located in flat or gently sloping areas. Yet, the need to control crop management processes and reduce company costs is shared by all enterprises, including smaller ones or those located in less favourable terrains. The system developed, therefore, represents a significant innovation in the sector as it enables the introduction of modern precision viticulture techniques in such contexts. This is made possible by the simplicity of use and the affordable cost of the equipment.

Why is it important?

The developed system represents a valuable tool for monitoring production, especially for the medium-small enterprises characteristic of certain Italian wine-growing regions, providing companies with lower investment capacities the opportunity to leverage the benefits of precision viticulture at sustainable costs.
Moreover, the handling of the harvested product is one of the most labor-intensive phases for operators, particularly in hilly areas that are difficult to reach with standard loading vehicles. The use of the developed vehicle, which is lightweight and compact, can significantly facilitate the management and logistics of product handling during the harvest, while at the same time reducing the risk of injuries to operators (such as falls and musculoskeletal trauma)
The ability to access all areas of the vineyard where the containers with the harvested product are distributed allows a drastic reduction in the manual movement of loads over uneven and steep terrain.