Chapter 34

Precision Viticulture

Ground-Based Sensing

Ground-based or proximal sensing is defined as the use of field sensors to monitor soil parameters and plant status when in contact with or close to it (within a few meters). Ground-based soil sensors can monitor real-time physical and chemical soil parameters, including moisture, temperature, pH, soil nutrients, and pollutants, providing key information to optimize crop cycle management, combat biotic and abiotic stresses, and enhance crop yields. One of the most common applications of such sensing is for irrigation management, which involves estimating the crop reference evapotranspiration (ET), i.e., the amount of water lost. Ground-based grapevine sensors are devices used to gather data about grapevines in their natural environment, often at close range, to provide information about real-time plant health, including water status, chlorophyll content, nutrient availability, and other relevant parameters.

Ground-Based Soil Sensing

Ground-based proximal soil sensing involves collecting information related to soil properties, often using one or more soil sensors. These sensors are an expanding set of tools and technologies using field-based sensors placed close to (within two meters) or in direct contact with the soil. The depth of soil from which a response is measured depends on the type of sensor used. Some commercially available soil sensors directly measure soil properties, although the majority measure parameters that are indirectly related to soil properties.

Technologies Used for Ground-Based Soil Sensing

There are several ground-based technologies used for rapidly assessing and mapping soil properties, including ground-penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic induction (EMI),  electrical resistivity (ER), spectral reflectance, mechanical impedance, time domain reflectometry (TDR), neutron scattering, and tension matric; all of which can measure, for example, various soil properties like moisture content, salinity, texture, compaction, and organic matter levels in real-time across a vineyard, providing valuable data for precision agriculture practices.

Applications of Ground-Based Soil Monitoring in Precision Viticulture

Ground-based oil monitoring refers to the use of in-field sensors, probes, and instruments placed directly in or close to the soil to measure its properties in real-time. Unlike remote sensing (satellite/UAV), this approach provides high-resolution, site-specific soil data at the root zone level.

Ground-Based Grapevine Sensing

Ground-based proximal grapevine sensing involves using vineyard sensors located close to the grapevines (within a few meters) to gather data on grapevine parameters, such as water, nutrition, and health status. This is a crucial aspect of precision viticulture, where the collected information helps optimize resource utilization and enhance grapevine production. Proximal sensors can be static (fixed in the field), mobile (mounted on tractors or robots), or handheld.

Technologies Used for Ground-Based Grapevine Sensing

There are several ground-based proximal technologies used for rapidly assessing and mapping grapevines that include spectral reflectance sensing, fluorescence sensing, thermal infrared sensing, structural/3D sensing, physiological sensing, and mechanical/contact sensing, all of which can measure several parameters, for example, chlorophyll content, canopy height, canopy temperature, and diseases in real-time across a vineyard, providing valuable data for precision viticulture practices.

Applications of Ground-Based Grapevine Monitoring in Precision Viticulture

Ground-based grapevine monitoring uses sensors placed near or within the crop canopy (mounted on tractors, vineyard trellises, or stationary in-field systems) to measure crop status in real time. This provides high-resolution, site-specific data directly at plant level, often complementing UAV/satellite remote sensing.

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