Concluding the GRAPE PRODIGI project
Our top technology brought to the famous wine region of Eger, in Hungary, by the collaborative project "GRAPE PRODIGI".
The Hungarian-Italian international consortium led by Eszterházy Károly Catholic University has completed its project entitled "Support grape producers with digital tools to develop their precision farming approach" (2021-2-HU01-KA210-ADU-000051077). The Erasmus+ Small Scale Partnerships in Adult Education programme focused on the development of digital tools and technologies for grape production.
Viticulture education and research has a centuries-old tradition in Eger. The Eszterházy Károly Catholic University is an innovative, service-oriented institution with a 250-year tradition, where, in addition to high-quality work, it is also fundamental to seek answers to research questions and to set goals that are both theoretically and practically relevant and can be used effectively. It is equally important for researchers to address current issues of concern to winegrowers and winemakers in dialogue with the sector's stakeholders.
This philosophy is reflected in the recently completed GrapePRODIGI project, in which a Hungarian-Italian international consortium led by the University of Eger worked on the development of digital tools and technologies for viticulture. In collaboration with the University of Padua, the Italian company CET Electronics s.n.c. and the Egri Wine Cellar Association, sensors with remote control were installed in the vineyards. The installation is located in the Síkhegy vineyard. This is no coincidence: it is considered one of the best vineyards in the wine region, with one of the most outstanding volcanic bedrock vineyards in the region, and a large cultivated area of almost 60 hectares.
The instruments by CET Electronics measures and records all the important weather factors, such as temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture, wind strength, all the data that vine growers and winemakers need. The work has resulted in a map interface which, alongside the weather and other data detected by the sensors, displays the interventions made and thus serves as a basis for research and practical conclusions. In addition to the map, a 3D camera (WCam b y CET Electronics) was used to monitor vine canopy growth, as well as other feature like average leaves temperature and inclination, connected to water status of the plants. The system, connected to disease models, also makes it possible to determine when and how much chemical needs to be reapplied to the crop.
The joint work, which lasted two years and was supported by a €60,000 grant, also resulted in the creation of a freely accessible web portal to showcase the use of innovative tools in viticulture: https://grapeprodigi.eu/
