Grape Production Climate Resilience (Rothamsted Research)
www.agritechinchina.org
Overview
Making grape production more resilient to weather and climate using Earth observation (EO) and smart sensors.
Solution benefits
Exploits satellite EO data and smart sensor technology (for soil, weather, crop conditions) and GIS modelling to:
- reduce water inputs, and improve frost and disease management
- identify suitable regions for new vineyard development
- improve sustainability and security of the viticulture sector and the economic development of low-income rural regions
Key technical features
- Combines environmental data and weather data (both from remote sensing and on-site sensors), to support decision making, such as for frost protection or targeted irrigation.
- Allows forecasting of irrigation needs in pilot vineyards driven by soil moisture data.
Case studies
Funded by UK Newton Fund, this is a partnership between UK based company Climate Wine Consulting (CWC Ltd) and China’s Northwest University of Agriculture and Forestry (NWUAF). Focused on three vineyards in the Helan Mountain region of China, it shows huge potential for the use of environmental data from remote sensing and smart sensors to make Chinese viticulture more weather resilient, efficient and sustainable.
Organisation overview
Rothamsted Research is a world-leading, non-profit research centre that focuses on strategic agricultural science to the benefit of farmers and society worldwide.