Precision Agriculture & Flexible Electronics Wine Grapes A Case Study Alan N. Lakso Cornell - Geneva

Why Grapes? Grape productivity is responsive to variations in environment (soils and weather) and cultural practices. Grape and wine characteristics and perceived quality is responsive to variations in environment and culture. The variations in value are mostly determined by aromas and flavors that respond to variations in the environment.

Soil and Climate Variations -> Variable Vine Water Stress. Vines Need an Optimal Moderate Stress for Optimal Wine Quality. Need to Monitor and Regulate Vine Water Status.

Why Grapes? Wine is a strongly value-added agricultural product in which the value can change with slight changes in product composition (e.g. chemically, a $100 bottle of wine is very close to that of a $10 bottle). Winegrapes are an extremely high value crop (grape values can be up to $10,000/acre/year) so premium wine producers can afford to invest in technologies other farmers cannot.

Current and New Technologies in Vineyards Documenting Soil-Induced Variability Detailed soil mapping guided by remote measures by ground-penetrating radar or EM conductivity. Remote aerial sensing of vineyards to identify variations in the growth of vines. Managing Soil-Induced Variability Choice of varieties and rootstocks suited to soil characters. Variable fertilization and irrigation. Variable monitoring of fruit ripening leading to variable harvesting times.

From: Bramley and Hamilton, Proc. 12th Austral.Wine Tech Conf. Yield variation in 4.3 Ha vineyard block

Current and New Technologies in Vineyards Documenting Real-Time Environmental Variability Wireless weather network with many motes temperature, humidity, radiation, rainfall, wetness soil moisture sensors Managing Climate-Induced Variability spatial monitoring of fruit ripening leading to variable harvesting times.

Map of spatial variation in temperature measured at 15:00, July 16, 2003, at King Family Farm, Penticton. Interpolated area is 1 ha. (Bowen, 2004, unpublished) ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

Environmental Variations Between/Within Vineyards Environment has major effects on where grapes (especially winter cold) can be grown and the quality of the grapes. Need to deploy many sensors to understand, then manage the variations. Need inexpensive wireless microsensors.

Institute for Application of Geospatial Technologies, Auburn, NY

Sensor Locations at Fox Run Vineyards, Penn Yan, NY

Potential Sensor Systems Physical Weather (Temp, Radiation, Humidity, Leaf Wetness) Soil Moisture and/or Nutrients Biological Sensing of Diseases via Volatiles or Remote Sensing Hyperspectral Scanning Vine Embedded Sensors Water status Nutrient status and fluxes Grape Aroma Development

Weather Sensors Soil Sensors Bio Sensors for Diseases Vine Water Stress Sensors Wireless Network IAGT Database Researchers Growers Hyper spectral Weather Crop/Pest Models Smart Variable Irrigation Smart Sprayer Systems

Characteristics Needed in Sensors Ruggedness to survive field environments Size needs variable environmental sensors larger embedded sensors, much smaller Quantitative response Cheap to allow many sensors Disposability/biodegradability

Concept - Embedded sensors in the vine trunks that can monitor the dynamic variations in water stress continuously. Wireless reporting to provide real-time data in relation to environment and other factors is needed.