The German Aerospace Centre (DLR), together with the organic winery Cortijo el Cura and Bettergy, has installed an agrivoltaic test facility in an organic vineyard in Laujar, southern Spain. The system combines solar modules with winegrowing and enables energy generation and sustainable agriculture at the same time. The DLR is investigating the interaction between solar modules and plant growth under real conditions, resolving land use conflicts and strengthening climate adaptation in agriculture - particularly important as rising temperatures and periods of drought are making cultivation in the region increasingly difficult. The test facility also plays an important role in meeting industrial energy requirements. The research supports a local energy supply, reduces CO₂ emissions and strengthens sustainable industrial energy systems. This project demonstrates DLR's commitment to a green future.

Lebanon’s well-documented history in grape cultivation and winemaking dates back millennia, intertwining with its cultural heritage and landscape. However, until recent years, Lebanon’s grapevine gene...

Background Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are beneficial root symbionts contributing to improved plant growth and development and resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Commercial bioinoculant...

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New computer model projects the temperatures that cause freeze damage in Northeastern cultivars.

Background and goals In winegrape production, clusters are sampled multiple times per growing season to assess fruit maturation. The economic cost of implementing a previously-developed spatial sampling method using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) images to assess block variability was compared to the economic costs of random sampling (R20) and of sampling via the four corners approach (4C). The objective was to compare the travel distance to sample blocks between the spatial sampling protocol (NDVI3), R20, and 4C, and the time and cost associated with the required travel distance of each sampling method. Methods and key findings Travel distances for each sampling method were calculated for six commercial vineyard blocks. The cost of required labor and travel was calculated for each travel distance. Travel distances per block for the R20, 4C, and NDVI3 methods ranged from 3.34 to 13.63 km, 0.68 to 2.41 km, and 0.36 to 1.58 km (all per sampling event), respectively. Total cost savings per sampling event using NDVI3 ranged from $5.54 to $32.40 when compared to R20, and from $0.33 to $4.61 when compared to 4C. Conclusions and significance The cost savings of using NDVI3 for maturation monitoring appears relatively small compared to R20 and 4C, but considering that most blocks are sampled multiple times leading up to harvest, and that larger wine companies have thousands of acres to sample for fruit maturity, savings may become more substantial. We conclude that adoption of the NDVI3 sampling protocol for fruit maturity may substantially reduce the cost of production for winegrapes grown in large blocks, compared to R20 and 4C sampling.

Fruit-picking robots are nothing new, but this is the first we've seen designed to harvest grapes. Extend Robotics aims to pioneer this shift in viticulture with intelligent automation at Saffron Gran...