SOMID Operational Group: New models for predicting powdery mildew and downy mildew in the Somontano region for a sustainable and competitive vineyard.
- Type Operational group
- Status In progress
- Execution 2023 -2026
- Assigned Budget 148.534,00 €
- Scope Autonómico
- Autonomous community Aragón
- Main source of financing PEPAC 2023-2027
At the end of the project, new models will be available at the area and plot levels for predicting the risk of powdery mildew and downy mildew in the Somontano wine-growing region. To ensure that these models can be used by any producer as a decision-making tool to protect their plots against these diseases, once validated, they will be incorporated into a user-friendly app. This software will automate the process of analyzing the risk of powdery mildew and downy mildew based on:
- The new predictive models.
- Field data collected by the network of control nodes in the plots that make up the pilot.
- Information on the phenological state of the vine.
To ensure that the knowledge generated is transferred to the sector and effectively reaches farmers, outreach and training events specifically targeted at them will be held, with demonstrations that will also be shared online for free and open access.
The average winegrower in Somontano spends around €250/ha per year on chemicals to combat mildew and powdery mildew (five treatments per season). Therefore, in the entire region, in addition to an annual expenditure of €1.1 million on fungicides, nearly 10,000 liters of chemicals are applied to control these diseases, with the resulting environmental impact.
Therefore, the sector clearly needs tools that allow producers to better manage vineyard protection treatments and optimize the use of fungicides. To minimize the application of these chemicals, the new models to be developed will take into account the management and practices carried out in the vineyard, as well as the grape variety. This is expected to reduce fungicide use by up to 50%, which would result in annual savings in the Somontano wine-growing region of 5,000 liters of product and almost €600,000. Extrapolating this data to the entire vineyard in Aragon, approximately 36,750 hectares, the economic savings could reach more than €4.5 million per year, avoiding the release of more than 14,000 liters of chemicals into the environment.
After an initial climate characterization of the Somontano wine-growing region, plots will be selected to implement control nodes and sensors for data collection that will feed the models and facilitate greater accuracy. This data, along with historical data from virtual nodes, will subsequently be integrated into a database.
Over two seasons, vineyard plots will be monitored (phenology, quality, health status, etc.), and treatments will be applied and their impacts evaluated. The information collected will be integrated into a specific software tool and fed into powdery mildew and downy mildew prediction models. New predictive models for powdery mildew and downy mildew will be developed, specifically parameterized for the Somontano wine-growing region, and subsequently integrated into a software application for data query and management.
Finally, validation tests will be conducted, monitoring the control plots and adjusting treatments precisely based on the actual needs of each plot.
SOMID will develop an intelligent software solution, based on predictive models, capable of determining the vineyard's risk of suffering from the two most harmful fungal diseases for this crop (powdery mildew and downy mildew). This will enable reasoned and well-founded decision-making, resulting in a reduction in the amount of phytosanitary products used and, consequently, have positive consequences for the environment and improve the competitiveness of winegrowers and wineries in the Somontano region.
- Coordinator/entity name: REGULATORY COUNCIL OF THE PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN SOMONTANO
- Postal address: AVDA LA MERCED 64, 22300 Barbastro
- Coordinator/entity email: otorres@dosomontano.com
- Phone: 609237703
- CONSEJO REGULADOR DE LA DENOMINACION DE ORIGEN PROTEGIDA SOMONTANO
- BODEGA COOPERATIVA COMARCAL DEL SOMONTANO DE SOBRARBE (bodegacoopsomontano@gmail.com)
- BODEGAS EL GRILLO Y LA LUNA SLU (enologia@elgrilloylaluna.com)
- CONSEJO REGULADOR DE LA DENOMINACION DE ORIGEN PROTEGIDA SOMONTANO
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