Vintel is teaming up with Ranch Systems, a manufacturer of American agricultural connected objects, to connect decision-making tools to their equipment and thus save winemakers from entering irrigation data. ITK’s goal is to work with more winemakers by connecting their existing tools to integrate data automatically into the software.
In California, from both an environmental and economic point of view, water resource management has become central to wine producers. This wine region has suffered from drought for many years and it is customary to irrigate several times a week to meet production targets. However, it is possible to reduce the quantity of water supplied to a vineyard plot by between 20% and 45% by optimizing irrigation management.
To improve the management of their targeted irrigation, many winemakers looking for solutions have equipped themselves with pressure sensors to measure their irrigation. These measurements of the amount of water added play an important role in the decisions the winemaker makes.
Ranch Systems’ networks help producers gain visibility into their farming operations in order to improve their efficiency. The Ranch System sensor makes it possible to know the irrigation time of a plot and thus to deduce the volume of water present in the soil.
Producers who use pressure sensors to monitor their irrigation on the plot now see this data directly in Vintel.
Vintel, the “real-time” irrigation forecasting service
The Vintel model accurately predicts the water potential of vine leaves (plant stress) in monitored plots and gives producers irrigation forecasts and the best processes to follow, taking into account the soil, weather, and water stress. Observation of operators’ use shows that they do not always enter the correct irrigation data.
However, Vintel’s model is designed to improve its forecasting performance based on the quantities of irrigation data provided and their accuracy. Thanks to the integration of Ranch System data since June 2020, Vintel significantly improves the user experience for winemakers. The software service thus avoids any data entry errors and delivers high-precision information, which contributes to a sustainable viticulture approach, through better use of water resources.
Two Californian wineries were able to test the use of Vintel with the addition of irrigation by Ranch System sensors. This automation makes life easier for winemakers, who have more time to concentrate on optimizing the quality of their grapes; and aim for greater profitability while respecting and preserving the soil.
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