Search Results (24)

Sloping vineyards are highly susceptible to soil erosion driven by intense rainfall. Evaluating the impact of different soil management practices is crucial for implementing conservation strategies to mitigate this process. This study aims to estimate soil erosion under various inter-row management systems (permanent grass cover, alternating tillage, and different combinations of sown mixtures and termination methods) using a modeling procedure based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The research was conducted in the Oltrepò Pavese (Northern Italy), a representative hilly vineyard area with medium steepness and clayey soils. Soil erosion was modeled at an annual scale, considering current conditions and three future climate projections (CMCC-CM2-VHR4, MPI-ESM1.2-XR, and EC-Earth3P-HR). Results indicate that annual soil loss is strongly influenced by inter-row management across all rainfall scenarios. Conservative practices—specifically cereal-based cover crops combined with rolling and sub-row mulching—significantly reduced erosion compared to alternating tillage, with average rates dropping from 1.85–3.30 Mg/ha/yr to 0.02–0.04 Mg/ha/yr. These findings underscore the importance of optimized interrow management in reducing soil degradation on sloping terrains. Full article

Soil compaction and reduced infiltration capacity are critical constraints limiting soil physical quality and hydraulic functioning in semi-arid vineyard systems subjected to repeated machinery traffic. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a geometry-optimized strip tillage tool designed to improve structural functionality within the compacted root zone while minimizing inter-row disturbance. A U-shaped working body configuration, consisting of two oppositely inclined shanks and a central chisel, was theoretically substantiated and optimized using multifactor analysis. Field experiments were conducted to assess changes in penetration resistance, bulk density, and infiltration rate within the 20–40 cm soil layer under semi-arid conditions. The optimized geometry significantly reduced penetration resistance and bulk density in the trafficked strip, indicating alleviation of mechanical impedance and improved root-relevant physical conditions. Infiltration capacity increased after treatment, indicating enhanced hydraulic continuity within the root zone. Unlike full-width subsoiling, the localized strip intervention preserved inter-row soil stability and limited unnecessary disturbance, which is consistent with conservation-oriented soil management. The results indicate that geometry-optimized strip tillage is associated with improved soil physical quality and hydraulic function within compacted vineyard strips. The operational applicability of the developed implement may also depend on vineyard layout and terrain conditions. The prototype tool was tested under conditions representative of vineyards with standard row spacing and relatively moderate slopes typical for the experimental site. In vineyards with very narrow row spacing, steep slopes, or highly heterogeneous soil conditions, adjustments in working width, shank spacing, or tractor–implement configuration may be required. Future studies should therefore investigate the performance of the optimized geometry under contrasting vineyard configurations, including steep hillside vineyards and high-density planting systems. By linking implement design to quantitative soil structural and hydraulic indicators, this study contributes to the development of vineyard soil management practices for semi-arid perennial cropping systems. Full article

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery has become an important tool for erosion monitoring, but little is known about its application in Mediterranean agricultural systems such as vineyards and olive groves. In this study, drone flights were conducted in vineyards and olive groves where mulch and biochar treatments had been applied. Digital terrain models (DTMs) and orthomosaics were constructed using a photogrammetry workflow, and model error was determined via global positioning system (GPS) transects. Erosion was assessed using Digital elevation models of Difference (DoD) and compared with field-based erosion plot measurements. Explanatory variables for erosion (soil roughness, slope length, steepness, vegetation cover) were derived from DTMs and orthomosaics and were evaluated in a multiple linear regression model. Although direct measurement of erosion from the DoDs was difficult, this was primarily influenced by the unexpectedly low erosion rates during the study period, and the high root mean square error (RMSE) of the DTMs. Significant differences in DTM-derived variables were found between study areas, and especially between areas with organic and integrated management, even though treatments showed similar patterns. The multiple linear regression model demonstrated strong explanatory power, accounting for a large part of the variation in measured erosion using the UAV-derived variables (R² = 0.81). Slope and slope length were the most important predictors of erosion together with the interaction between these two variables. The results suggest that soil erosion in the study areas was mostly determined by topographic and management factors, rather than the applied treatments. This study highlights the value of UAV imagery in advancing the understanding of erosion processes in Mediterranean agricultural systems, while also identifying the challenge of accurately measuring erosion from DoDs under conditions of low erosion rates. Full article

In the southwestern region of Asturias (Northern Spain) lies one of the few mountainous viticulture areas in the world, representing only 5% of global viticulture. The complex topography and differences in altitude, slope, and orientation of mountainous viticulture areas create highly variable microclimates even among nearby plots, with distinct mean temperatures, relative humidity, and solar radiation. These factors strongly influence grape and wine quality, as well as polyphenol concentration. Several production parameters and basic chemical characteristics of must were analyzed over multiple years, along with polyphenol content, in grapes from the same clones of Albarín Blanco and Verdejo Negro (autochthonous genotypes of this viticultural area), grown in geographically close vineyards with different topographies and microclimates. The results revealed significant differences in all analyzed parameters. Both varieties showed polyphenol concentrations slightly higher than those reported in the scientific literature, which may be related to the typical conditions of mountain viticulture or intrinsic genetic factors of these varieties. The best grape and must quality, regardless of variety, was obtained in plots located in sunny, well-ventilated areas with steep slopes and low-fertility soils. These plots exhibited higher potential alcohol content and greater concentrations of anthocyanins, hydrocarbons, and total polyphenols. When comparing varieties, Verdejo Negro showed the highest levels of anthocyanins, flavonols, and total polyphenols, whereas Albarín Blanco exhibited the highest concentrations of total phenolics and hydrocarbons. Full article

A growing interest in aerial drone applications has led to the European regulatory proposal 2022/0196/COD, which considers aerial spraying in steep-slope vineyards safer for human health and the environment. Nevertheless, disease control in perennial crops by aerial applications remains under-investigated. This study aims to identify suitable Plant Protection Products (PPPs) for aerial application in vineyards and analytical methods to quantify PPP deposits. A standardized protocol for controlling grapevine downy mildew was developed, testing Metalaxyl-M and copper-based fungicides’ efficacy and foliar depositions. As Italian law prohibits aerial application, an Unmanned Aerial Spray System (UASS) constrained to the ground simulated aerial spray. Leaves were sampled on predetermined days after treatment application for both fungicides’ efficacy evaluation and deposit quantification. Metalaxyl-M applied from UASS showed an efficacy comparable to ground sprays at pre- and post-flowering (≈70%), while copper efficacy from UASS was lower (≈47–63%) at each stage. Aerial sprayings resulted in higher deposits in the upper canopy, potentially explaining the lower efficacy of copper fungicides, while Metalaxyl-M’s systemicity partially compensated for the uneven vertical distribution, improving disease control. This study established a methodology for aerial PPP testing in vineyards, further studies are needed to confirm these findings across different years and locations. Full article

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) in agriculture is a critical concern worldwide, with self-propelled machinery accidents, particularly tip/roll-overs, being a leading cause of injuries and fatalities. In such a context, while great attention has been paid to machinery safety improvement, a major challenge is the lack of studies addressing the analysis of the work environment to provide farmers with precise information on field slope steepness. This information, merged with an awareness of machinery performance, such as tilt angles, can facilitate farmers in making decisions about machinery operations in hilly and mountainous areas. To address this gap, the Italian Compensation Authority (INAIL) launched a research programme to integrate georeferenced slope data with the tilt angle specifications of common self-propelled machinery, following EN ISO 16231-2:2015 standards. This study presents the first results of this research project, which was focused on vineyards in the alpine region of the Autonomous Province of Trento, where terrestrial LiDAR technology was used to analyze slope steepness. The findings aim to provide practical guidelines for safer machinery operation, benefiting farmers, risk assessors, and manufacturers. By enhancing awareness of tip/roll-over risks and promoting informed decision-making, this research aims to contribute to improving OHS in agriculture, particularly in challenging terrains. Full article

Soil erosion in coastal areas, driven by global change and human activity, poses a significant threat to ecological and economic stability. This research investigates water erosion in the southeast of the Ría de Arosa (Pontevedra, Spain), utilizing the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation model and Geographic Information System technologies. Key factors analyzed include rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, topography, land cover, and conservation practices. High-resolution maps (1 × 1 m pixels) identified areas at high risk of erosion. Vulnerable zones, such as coastal cliffs and vineyards, show severe erosion rates exceeding 50 t/ha/year (>5 mm/year), with the most extreme zones reaching up to 200 t/ha/year (>200 mm/year). These results emphasize that intervention could be required or recommended. Suggested measures include reforestation, effective agricultural land management, or the implementation of vegetative barriers to reduce erosion. These areas, characterized by steep slopes and sparse vegetation, are particularly susceptible to soil loss, necessitating specific conservation efforts. The results underscore the need for sustainable coastal management practices and preventive strategies to protect this vulnerable coastal zone. Implementing these measures is crucial to mitigating the impacts of soil erosion, preserving natural resources, and ensuring long-term ecological and economic resilience in the region. Full article

In times of global insect decline, agricultural ecosystems need to be designed in an as insect-friendly manner as possible to halt the progressive loss of biodiversity. This is particularly important for steep-slope viticulture being established on sites with high biodiversity potential. Therefore, we compared different vineyard types (cross-slope with greened embankments vs. down-slope or other types without greened embankments), using wild bees and butterflies as indicators for biodiversity in the lower Moselle region (SW Germany). The numbers of species and individuals in both groups were significantly higher in cross-slope vineyards with greened embankments. This also held true for the number of specialised and endangered species. The communities of wild bees and butterflies differed remarkably between the vineyard types. Three wild bee and five butterfly species were identified as indicator species and hence can be used as such for further monitoring. Our results underline that the structure of steep-slope vineyards has tremendous importance for biodiversity conservation. Since the cultivation of cross-slope vineyards on steep slopes is easier than that of down-slope vineyards, we assume the great synergistic potential to reconcile agricultural use and biodiversity conservation and, in addition, to preserve steep-slope viticulture as a structural element in landscape planning. Full article

Landslide movements and soil loss due to erosion have increased dramatically, causing numerous human and economic losses. Therefore, it is necessary to delimit these risks in order to prevent and mitigate the effects in natural parks of great value, as is the case of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park. As for landslide movements, they are evaluated by estimating the susceptibility to their occurrence, taking into account the different thematic layers: lithology, geomorphology (slopes, curvature, orientations), hydrogeology and vegetation, weighting each of them using the analytical hierarchy method. Then, by means of map algebra, the cartography of susceptibility to landslides is obtained. On the other hand, the RUSLE equation was used to calculate erosive losses. The results of the gravitational susceptibility are grouped into five classes: very high, high, medium, low and very low, so that the first corresponds to areas of high slope, without vegetation, south facing, with a lithology of quartzites, metapelites and gneisses (canyons, sloping valleys) and, on the contrary, the sectors of lower susceptibility coincide with flat areas, more density of vegetation, north facing, with conglomerates, cobbles, sands and clays, corresponding to erosion surfaces or valley bottoms. In terms of erosion results, the greatest losses are found in areas of steep slopes, with little or no vegetation and with poorly developed soils. Finally, taking into account the cartography of landslide risk, the cartography of potential water erosion and land use, it is possible to determine which conservation practices should be carried out, as well as the land uses that are less susceptible to these movements, highlighting in our study the importance of vineyards in their control. Full article

The abandonment of traditional agricultural practices and subsequent succession are major threats to many open-adapted species and species-rich ecosystems. Viticulture on steep slopes has recently suffered from strong declines due to insufficient profitability, thus increasing the area of fallow land considerably. Changing cultivation systems from vertically oriented to modern vineyard terraces offers an opportunity to maintain management economically viable and thus reduces further abandonment. Hillside parallel terraces favor mechanization, and their embankments offer large undisturbed areas that could provide valuable habitats. We investigated the effects of vineyard abandonment, different vineyard management types (vertically oriented vs. terraced), and local parameters on Orthoptera diversity in 45 study sites along the Upper Middle Rhine Valley in Germany. Our results show that woody structures and vineyard abandonment reduced Orthoptera diversity at the local and landscape scale due to decreased habitat quality, especially for open-adapted species. In contrast, open inter-rows of actively managed vineyard types supported heat-adapted Caelifera species. On terrace embankments, extensive management and taller vegetation benefited Ensifera species, while short and mulched vegetation in vertically oriented vineyards favored the dominance of one single Caelifera species. Our results highlight the significance of maintaining viticultural management on steep slopes for the preservation of both open-adapted Orthoptera species and the cultural landscape. Full article

Measurements of dust emissions and the modeling of dissipation dynamics and total values are related to great uncertainties. Agricultural activity, especially soil cultivation, may be an essential component to calculate and model local and regional dust dynamics and even connect to the global dust cycle. To budget total dust and to assess the impact of tillage, measurement of mobilized and transported dust is an essential but rare basis. In this study, a simple measurement concept with Modified Wilson and Cook samplers was applied for dust measurements on a small temporal and spatial scale on steep-slope vineyards in the Moselle area. Without mechanical impact, a mean horizontal flux of 0.01 g m² min⁻¹ was measured, while row tillage produced a mean horizontal flux of 5.92 g m² min⁻¹ of mobilized material and 4.18 g m² min⁻¹ emitted dust from site (=soil loss). Compared on this singular-event basis, emissions during tillage operations generated 99.89% of total emitted dust from the site under low mean wind velocities. The results also indicate a differing impact of specific cultivation operations, mulching, and tillage tools as well as the additional influence of environmental conditions, with highest emissions on dry soil and with additional wind impact. The dust source function is strongly associated with cultivation operations, implying highly dynamic but also regular and thus predictable and projectable emission peaks of total suspended particles. Detailed knowledge of the effects of mechanical impulses and reliable quantification of the local dust emission inventory are a basis for analysis of risk potential and choice of adequate management options. Full article

A heterogeneous robotic system that can perform various tasks in the steep vineyards of the Mediterranean region was developed and tested as part of the HEKTOR—Heterogeneous Autonomous Robotic System in Viticulture and Mariculture—project. This article describes the design of hardware and an easy-to-use method for evaluating the energy consumption of the system, as well as, indirectly, its deployment readiness level. The heterogeneous robotic system itself consisted of a flying robot—a light autonomous aerial robot (LAAR)—and a ground robot—an all-terrain mobile manipulator (ATMM), composed of an all-terrain mobile robot (ATMR) platform and a seven-degree-of-freedom (DoF) torque-controlled robotic arm. A formal approach to describe the topology and parameters of selected vineyards is presented. It is shown how Google Earth data can be used to make an initial estimation of energy consumption for a selected vineyard. On this basis, estimates of energy consumption were made for the tasks of protective spraying and bud rubbing. The experiments were conducted in two different vineyards, one with a moderate slope and the other with a much steeper slope, to evaluate the proposed estimation method. Full article

Row orientation, among others, is a crucial factor in determining grapevine performance and health status, thus affecting berry components that form the basis of the later wine profile. However, the literature about the impact of changes in row orientation at steep slope sites on grapevine fruit composition as well as the differentiation between canopy sides hardly exists. Thus, the aim of this work was to gain knowledge about the impact of row orientation in steep slope vineyards on selected primary and secondary metabolites in berries of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Riesling. Samples were taken from both canopy sides of different row orientations of terraced and downslope vineyards in steep slopes. Free amino acids in the juice and flavonols in the berry skin had a positive correlation to sunlight exposure. Furthermore, grapevines showed adaptations to constantly higher light conditions, e.g., physiologically in reduction in chlorophyll content or protective mechanisms resulting in a lower susceptibility to sunburn damage. Thus, grapevine fruit parameters are affected by row orientation change in steep slopes. Full article

Mediterranean central Chile is globally recognized as a hotspot for terrestrial biodiversity due to its high endemism and massive habitat loss. However, within the rural landscape of central Chile, significant extents of natural areas remain, especially on less productive, steep slopes, and vegetation strips extending from the surrounding hills to agricultural areas. Accordingly, vegetation strips or corridors, within lowland farms, constitute key elements to support the conservation of biodiversity in rural landscapes. To assess the ecological performance of corridors in 22 commercials vineyards in central Chile, we characterized them in terms of width-, length-, area-, and perimeter-to-area ratios, as well as the number of connections with natural areas. Based on a set of previously defined ecological indicators (species, functional groups, and structural components), we compared their occurrence in corridors within vineyards and in the surrounding natural areas. We evaluated the effects of corridor attributes on the occurrence of the selected ecological indicators, using a generalized linear mixed model with each vineyard as a random factor. The area, width, and length of vegetation corridors varied widely (1.2–86.3 ha, 10.5–95 m, and 380–5000 m, respectively). We found significant differences in the occurrence of indicators between corridors and natural areas. All sampled ecological indicators in corridors showed a negative relationship with the distance to the nearest natural area. Vegetation strips within vineyards represent important opportunities for biodiversity conservation that significantly enhance habitat quality in the agricultural landscape for biodiversity and habitat connectivity. Full article

Software for robotic systems is becoming progressively more complex despite the existence of established software ecosystems like ROS, as the problems we delegate to robots become more and more challenging. Ensuring that the software works as intended is a crucial (but not trivial) task, although proper quality assurance processes are rarely seen in the open-source robotics community. This paper explains how we analyzed and improved a specialized path planner for steep-slope vineyards regarding its software dependability. The analysis revealed previously unknown bugs in the system, with a relatively low property specification effort. We argue that the benefits of similar quality assurance processes far outweigh the costs and should be more widespread in the robotics domain. Full article