Information on the mechanization of agriculture, gardening, components and multifunctionality.
News

The field trials of a robot for vineyard

by Marcello Ortenzi
July - September 2019 | Back

The wine sector always requires new technologies to improve agronomic and business management. Last June, among the rows of the CREA (Council for agricultural research and analysis of the agricultural economy) experimental farm for viticulture and oenology “Calle di Busco” in Spresiano (TV), as part of the Nova Agricoltura in Vigneto days, the most advanced equipment for managing the canopy and under the vine, autonomous robot prototypes, sensors and much more. The robotic management of vineyards optimizes resources, reduces production costs, and ensures a rational use of pesticides. This was demonstrated with an autonomous robot developed based on a “Robo” by Energreen. The Venetian Operating Group Rovitis 4.0 is a partnership of farms, research institutions such as the University of Padua, CREA, and Energreen. It was launched last year to demonstrate the feasibility, effectiveness and economic/environmental sustainability of this highly technological management. The system is based on the dialogue between the robotic vehicle, its sensors, and a DSS software application. The main innovation feature is the ability to spray the vineyard according to a predetermined path, after analysing the farming needs.

The robot will also have to assist the farmer with data from the field, so as to assess whether the spraying is necessary. The project aims to become a reference at the regional, national and international level, to fill the gap that has developed between the latest technologies and the wine sector. The project also includes the development of two prototype robots and the use of three safety and performance tests in the vineyard to check the autonomous driving, as well as the safety and interaction between the robot and the decision support system.

THE MOST READ of the latest edition