Regional Institute of Wine and Oil

Avigere project, the first results

Report 18 December AVD Marsala.  

“An interesting moment of in-depth analysis on the issues of Precision Viticulture linked to AVIGERE took place on the day of presentation of the project, which started in October 2011 and will end in 2013.

At the headquarters of the Donnafugata winery in Marsala on 18 December 2012, the IRVOS leader together with the partners presented the work carried out during the first year of activity and the results achieved.

Dr. Antonio Rallo, President of Assovini Sicilia, Partner of the project but above all in his role as host, opened the proceedings by welcoming those present. Dr. Marcello Caruso, Extraordinary Commissioner of IRVOS, speaking about the current situation affecting the wine sector, highlighted the critical issues and also focused on the problem of the poor use of European funding, hoping for greater use of the same to deal with the the current economic crisis. Dr. Felice Capraro, head of AVIGERE for the Regional Institute of Wines and Oils of Sicily, spoke about the themes, the aims of the project and the advantages resulting from the application of Precision Viticulture for the regional wine supply chain. The acquisition of data and images from a satellite platform and/or proximity and the derived information, useful for managing the spatial and temporal variability of the vineyard system, were the topics introduced by Prof. Rosario Di Lorenzo (University of Palermo, DEMETRA Department) and treated in more detail in the interventions of the engineer. Antonino Maltese (Agricultural Hydraulics Department), Dr. Tanino Santangelo and Dr. Jacopo Cricco, experts appointed by the Partners. The engineer. Claudio Midòlo, representing the Agile Partner, reported on "Use of Wireless Sensor Network technology".

The monitoring of micrometeorological conditions via a capillary network of wireless sensors (WSN) is a rapidly evolving sector and today the market offers solutions with lower cost and more reliable technology. The meeting, which saw the participation of agronomists, oenologists, technicians from wine-growing companies, officials of the SOAT (technical assistance operational sections) of the Regional Department of Agricultural and Food Resources, concluded with a guided tour of the Donnafugata winery and the premises intended for the refinement of wine in "barriques".

Felice Capraro – OU Transfer of Innovation for Wineries