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IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 OIV 9 OIV 2024 9 Short communications - Viticulture, table grapes, dried grapes and unfermented grape products 9 An innovative 21st century frost alert system for an age-old viticulture challenge

An innovative 21st century frost alert system for an age-old viticulture challenge

Abstract

Damage during the budbreak period due to spring season frosts remains one of the most significant weather-related challenges to viticulture around the world. For example, in 2021, €2bn of estimated damage was reported in france while >50% of vineyards were badly affected in the UK in 2017. The impacts are felt in both the current and following growing seasons. Although the climate is generally warming, earlier resulting budbreak in the 21st  century sustains this risk posed by spring frost.  While advection frosts are difficult to protect against, the impact of spring radiation frosts can be mitigated through the effective combination of technologies, not least the integration of continuous sensor measurements, state-of-the-art weather forecasts, machine learning techniques and ‘air modifiers’. We present here one such integrated system and focus specifically upon the climatological analysis, forecasting and alerting of radiation frost risk in the uk, france and belgium. We quantify how the relative proportion of radiation frosts varies both temporally and geographically and demonstrate an innovative end-to-end system in which vineyard sensor measurements and machine learning techniques continuously help in the refinement of site-specific vineyard forecasts, supplemented by alerts issued using whatsapp.

Un système innovant d’alerte au gel du 21e siècle pour un défi viticole séculaire

Les dommages causés par les gelées printanières pendant la période de débourrement restent l’un des défis météorologiques les plus importants pour la viticulture dans le monde. Par exemple, en 2021, 2 milliards d’euros de dommages estimés ont été signalés en france, tandis que >50 % des vignobles ont été gravement touchés au royaume-uni en 2017. Les impacts se font sentir à la fois pendant la saison de croissance en cours et les suivantes. Bien que le climat se réchauffe généralement, le débourrement précoce qui en résulte au 21e siècle maintient ce risque posé par le gel printanier.  Bien qu’il soit difficile de se protéger contre les  gelées d’advection, l’impact des gelées de rayonnement  printanières peut être atténué grâce à la combinaison efficace de technologies, notamment l’intégration de mesures continues par capteurs, de prévisions météorologiques de pointe, de techniques d’apprentissage automatique et de « modificateurs d’air ». Nous présentons ici l’un de ces systèmes intégrés et nous nous concentrons spécifiquement sur l’analyse climatologique, la prévision et l’alerte du risque de gel par rayonnement au royaume-uni, en france et en belgique. Nous quantifions comment la proportion relative de gelées de rayonnement varie à la fois temporellement et géographiquement et démontrons un système innovant de bout en bout dans lequel les mesures des capteurs viticoles et les techniques d’apprentissage automatique aident en permanence à affiner les prévisions viticoles spécifiques au site, complétées par des alertes émises via whatsapp.

Ein innovatives frostwarnsystem des 21. Jahrhunderts für eine jahrhundertealte herausforderung im weinbau

Schäden während der austriebszeit aufgrund von frühjahrsfrösten sind nach wie vor eine der größten witterungsbedingten herausforderungen für den weinbau auf der ganzen welt. So wurden beispielsweise im jahr 2021 in frankreich geschätzte schäden in höhe von 2 mrd. Eur gemeldet, während im vereinigten königreich im jahr 2017 >50 % der weinberge stark betroffen waren. Die auswirkungen sind sowohl in der aktuellen als auch in der folgenden vegetationsperiode zu spüren. Obwohl sich das klima im allgemeinen erwärmt, hält der frühere austrieb im 21. Jahrhundert dieses risiko durch frühjahrsfrost aufrecht.  Während  es schwierig ist, sich vor advektionsfrost zu schützen, können die auswirkungen von strahlungsfrost im frühjahr  durch die effektive kombination von technologien gemildert werden, nicht zuletzt durch die integration kontinuierlicher sensormessungen, modernster wettervorhersagen, techniken des maschinellen lernens und “luftmodifikatoren”. Wir stellen hier ein solches integriertes system vor und konzentrieren uns speziell auf die klimatologische analyse, vorhersage und warnung vor dem strahlungsfrostrisiko in großbritannien, frankreich und belgien. Wir quantifizieren, wie der relative anteil der strahlungsfröste sowohl zeitlich als auch geografisch variiert, und demonstrieren ein innovatives end-to-end-system, in dem weinbergsensormessungen und techniken des maschinellen lernens kontinuierlich bei der verfeinerung von teilflächenspezifischen weinbergsprognosen helfen, ergänzt durch warnungen, die über whatsapp ausgegeben werden.

Publication date: November 18, 2024

Issue: OIV 2024

Type: Article

Authors

Steve Dorling¹, Alistair Nesbitt², Marcus Krumins¹, Dan Smith¹, Oliver Brady³

¹ Weatherquest Ltd – Enterprise Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
² Vinescapes – Unit 5, Dunley Hill Court, Ranmore Common, Dorking, United Kingdom
³ University of East Anglia – Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom

Contact the author*

Tags

IVES Conference Series | OIV | OIV 2024

Citation

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