Regional Institute of Wine and Oil

Avigere project: for precision viticulture

Research and technology. These are the two aspects that are now necessary in the agricultural world, especially in recent years. In fact, it has become a need to deepen knowledge of site-specific agronomic management in order to combine research activities with the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

Hence the birth of the Avigere project which has as its leader the Regional Institute of Wines and Oils of Sicily and twelve partners, including research institutions and wineries, namely: the University of Palermo, Agile srl, the Centro Enochimico Barbera, Co. Ri.Bi.A., Cantine Settesoli, Tasca d'Almerita, Cantine Donnafugata, Cantine Rapitalà, Azienda Agricola Mannone Giuseppe Alessandro, CRESM, Assovini, IZS for Sicily and Ubiq srl. “Precision viticulture – explains Felice Capraro of IRVOS – represents the method with which to achieve sustainable viticulture and marks the starting point for the creation of traceability of wine production”. So just over a year after its launch, the Avigere project began in October 2011 and will end next year. A conference will be held tomorrow afternoon, December 18th at 4.30 pm in Marsala. Home to the Donnafugata Cellars. The first results of the application of precision viticulture to some Sicilian companies for energy saving and eco-compatibility will thus be put on the table. Training of technical staff, use of some technologies such as proximal sensing or remote sensing or even WSN. And then, creation of a GIS and a technical operating manual as well as a WebGis for the dissemination of the knowledge acquired through the internet platform: these are the objectives of the project. The rationalization of the use of water and the distribution of pesticides are among the concrete effects. Practicing precision viticulture, in addition to reducing production costs and therefore generating an increase in company profits, produces positive effects on the environment due to the lower use of "chemistry" in agriculture. The extraordinary commissioner of the Institute Marcello Caruso and the regional councilor for Agricultural and Food Resources Dario Cartabellotta will be present at the conference.