VINIoT: Precision viticulture service for SMEs based on IoT sensors network

Resilience and sustainability are two fundamental concepts in the sustainable development of the wine sector, being closely interconnected.

Grapevine trunk diseases including Eutypa dieback are a major factor in the decline of vineyards and may lead to loss of productivity, reduced income, and premature reworking or replanting. Several studies have yielded results indicating that vines may be more likely to express symptoms of vascular disease if their health is already compromised by stress. In Australia and many other wine-growing regions it is a common practice for canes to be wrapped tightly around the cordon wire during the establishment of permanent cordon arms. It is likely that this practice may have a negative effect on health and longevity, as older cordons that have been trained in this manner often display signs of decay and dieback, with the wire often visibly embedded within the wood of the cordon. It is possible that adopting a training method which avoids constriction of the vasculature of the cordon may help to limit the onset of vascular disease symptom expression. A survey was conducted during the spring of two consecutive growing seasons on vineyards in South Australia displaying symptoms of Eutypa lata infection when symptomless shoots were 50–100 cm long. Vines were assessed as follows: (i) the proportion of cordon exhibiting dieback was rated using a 0–100% scale; (ii) the proportion of canopy exhibiting foliar symptoms of Eutypa dieback was rated using a 0–100% scale; (iii) the severity of strangulation was rated using a 0–4 point scale. Images were also taken of each vine for the purpose of measuring plant area index (PAI) using the VitiCanopy App. The goal of the survey was to determine if and to what extent any correlation exists between severity of strangulation and cordon dieback, in addition to Eutypa dieback foliar symptom expression.

Context and purpose of the study. Berry sunburn in vineyards is a recurring disorder that can cause severe yield loss. As sunburn observations are often associated with heat waves, a link to climate change is likely.

Microsatellite markers are a valuable tool to facilitate the management of germplasm collections and assess genetic diversity. This study reports the genetic characterization of a large collection of 379 rootstocks and other non-viniferaaccessions maintained at the University of Milan, Italy.

The under-way zoning works of the Emilia viticulture have pointed out a huge variability of the features of the soils, which belong to this area.