Terroir 2010 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Satellite imagery : a tool for large scale vineyard management

Satellite imagery : a tool for large scale vineyard management

Abstract

Remote sensing, using Near Infra Red wavelength, can characterize within-vineyard variability using vegetation index. Between 2007 and 2009, a study was led on the vineyards of a cooperative winery, in Fitou area (France) aiming at characterizing vineyard oenological potential. A vegetation index, green leaf cover, developed on crops (wheat, rice, corn…) was implemented on vineyards.
In a first stage, it was proved that the use of 2m/pixel resolution gave the same precision of field variability mapping than a 0,50 m/pixel resolution, which made possible the use of satellite datas, covering a 57 600 or 302 500 ha zone (respectively 24 km x 24 km or 55 km x 55km). Then a heterogeneity index, adapted from Pringle’s opportunity could be calculated for each vine, which can be characterized by an average leaf cover index (a “vigor” index), and an heterogeneity index. Detection of high levels of bare soil in a vine can also be identified automatically.
Based on these indexes, each vine can be characterized and gathered with other vines with the same characteristics (homogeneous vines with either low or high vigour, heterogeneous vines, abnormal vines with excessive bare soil….). According to such a classification realized just before veraison, the winery could select bins corresponding to each quality of vines. Separate vinifications proved sensorial differences on wines: homogeneous vines would give wines with intense jammy and spicy flavours, interesting body in mouth, and smooth tannins, whereas heterogeneous vines tended to produce wines with more red fruit and grassy aromas, and coarser tannins. These differences are consistent from year to year. This selection method is used on 50 % of carignan vines by the winery, which cannot be visited by its technical staff.

DOI:

Publication date: October 6, 2020

Issue: Terroir 2010

Type: Article

Authors

J. ROUSSEAU(1), H. POILVE(2), B. TISSEYRE(3), J. COLLAS(4), D. GRANES(5)

(1) Groupe Institut Coopératif du Vin La Jasse de Maurin F34970 LATTES
(2) INFOTERRA Parc Technologique du Canal – 15, Avenue de l’Europe F31522 RAMONVILLE , France
(3) SUPAGRO UMR ITAP Place Viala F34060 MONTPELLIER France
(4) Vignerons du Mont Tauch F11350 TUCHAN

Contact the author

Keywords

Remote sensing, satellite imagery, vine selection, wine quality, within-vineyard variability

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2010

Citation

Related articles…

Genetic diversity of Oenococcus oeni strains isolated from Yinchuan wine region in the East of Helan Mountain, China

Aim: This study aimed to isolate Oenococcus oeni in red wines from Yinchuan wine region in the East of Helan Mountain, China, and analysis their genetic diversity. Methods and Results: Oenococcus oeni strains were isolated from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Gernischt wines of four

The role of soil water holding capacity and plant water relations in zone/terroir expression

The spatial variability in soil type and depth and water holding capacity is very high in many viticultural regions of the world. Differences in rooting depths and water extraction profiles and their seasonal dynamics add additional variability and it is extremely difficult to deduct direct causal relationships between these factors and fruit

From soil to canopy, the diversity of adaptation strategies  to abiotic constraints in grapevine

Climate change is here. One of the main consequences is an increase in the frequency and severity of abiotic stresses which mostly occur in a combined manner. Grapevine, which grows in a large diversity of pedo-climatic conditions, has presumably evolved different mechanisms to allow this widespread adaptation. Harnessing the genetic diversity in these mechanisms will be central to the future of viticulture in many traditional wine growing areas. The interactions between the scion and the rootstock through grafting add an additional level of diversity and adaptive potential to explore.
At the physiological level, these mechanisms are related to processes such as root system development and functioning (water and nutrient uptake), interactions with the soil microbiome, gas exchange regulation, hydraulic properties along the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, reserve storage, short and long distance signaling mechanisms and plasticity for some of these traits.

What about oxygen transfer during wine aging in barrels?

During wine aging, several complex phenomena of gas transfer take place in barrels due to the wine/oak contact. The efficiency of this gas transfer varies according to oak wood’s intrinsic physical properties. This research aims to better understand oxygen transfer phenomena through dry oak staves and especially through stave gaps, in order to reevaluate the importance of barrel-making on a barrel’s supply of oxygen. Experimentation was based on the development of an innovative permeameter of laboratory scale, for which the principal operating conditions concerning applied pressure, the choice of liquid phase/gas phase, and the grain type of oak are taken into account and investigated. With a specially developed tightening system, the existing pressure at stave gaps in a barrel could be reproduced on a laboratory scale in order to estimate its influence on oxygen transfer efficiency.

To a better understanding of the impact of vine nitrogen status on volatile thiols from plot to transcriptome level

Volatile thiols contribute largely to the organoleptic characteristics and typicity of Sauvignon blanc wines. Among this family of odorous compounds, 3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol (3SH) and 4-methyl-4-sulfanylpentan-2-one (4MSP) have a major impact on wine flavor. These thiols are formed during alcoholic fermentation by the yeast from odorless and non-volatile precursors found in the berry and the must. The effect of vine nitrogen status on 3SH and 4MSP in Sauvignon blanc wine and on the glutathionylated and cysteinylated precursors of 3SH (Glut-3SH and Cys-3SH) was investigated in this study.