96216 - Smart Viticulture

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student knows grape physiology and its development cycle, and is able to understand and implement the most suitable vegetational indices (acquired both by remote and proximal sensing), is familiar with state of the art mechanical solutions to vineyard management. In particular, the student possesses the skills: to identify and apply the most appropriate precision management techniques, implementing the most suitable vegetational indices, to use non-destructive fruit quality sensors, coupled to AI solutions, to record and map quality indices of the bunches, implementing them in differential harvests and to record and process data gathered via WSN (wireless sensor networks), relative to soil, canopy, environment, and to implement them in precision irrigation and canopy management solutions.

Course contents

The course is developing in 4 teaching units:

1) Grape physiology and vegetative and reproductive vine cycles. Grape berry development and ripening process, evolution of grape berry composition relevant to winemaking (sugars, acids, polyphenols, aromas). Lecture unit: 8 hours. Practice exercise Unit: 2 hours.

2) Variety and rootstock: origin of the cultivars. Vineyard planting: planting density and soil management techniques. Winter pruning. Training systems. Canopy management and summer pruning. Water and nutrition grape needed in different phenological stages. Harvest and winter and summer pruning mechanization. Lecture unit: 8 hours. Practice exercise Unit : 2 hours.

3) Terroir concept and effects of genotype-environment interaction on vine response. Zoning and Appellation. Intra-vineyard variability. Methods to study the intra-vineyard variability; Remote and proximal sensing. Wireless sensors. Soil monitoring. Vigour and yield index monitoring. Grape quality monitoring. Water status monitoring. Variable Rate Application of fertilization, irrigation and summer pruning techniques. Differential harvest. Lecture unit: 8 hours. Practice exercise Unit : 2 hours.

4) Case studies: Learning through the analysis of actual or simulated cases in order to interpret and resolve them by employing alternative solution procedures to identify and apply the most appropriate precision management techniques.  Practice exercise Unit :10 hours

 

Readings/Bibliography

Iland P., Dry P., Proffitt T., Rolley L., Wilkes E. The Grapevine: From the Science to the Practice of Growing Vines for Wine Hardcover – November, 2011

Palliotti, Poni, Silvestroni. Manuale di viticoltura. Edagricole, 2018.

Palliotti, Poni, Silvestroni. La nuova viticoltura. Edagricole. 2015.

Scientific papers distributed by the teacher

Teaching methods

Lectures are supported by pc slides and by discussion of the different topics.

Assessment methods

The final exam is oral and aims to verify the acquisition of the knowledge of the topics analyzed during the course.

During the exam the student will explain the topics developed during the course that are present un the suggested bibliography and in the note from the class. In particular the discussion will develop through at least three questions and the exam will last over 30 minutes. The evaluation will be based on following criteria:(i) knowledge, comprehension and in-depth analyses of each topic; (ii) critic and expositive skills (iii) proper technical scientific language. The maximum scoring of the oral exam may be of 30, eventually with honor. Lack of knowledge and /or inappropriate language, despite in a contest of basic knowledge of the material of the exam, will lead to an insufficient mark.

The exam data are established according the range defined by the Course meeting and the students may book for the oral exam exclusively the application on Alma Esami . https://almaesami.unibo.it/almaesami/welcome.htm.

In case of special needs, the students may contact the teacher to plan an extra exam.

Teaching tools

The lessons are supported by training time in the experimental vineyard of the Agricultural Farm of the University to observe the vine different vineyard management techniques and some precision techniques solutions. Visits on private vineyards are also planned.

“As concerns the teaching methods of this course unit, all students must attend Module 1, 2 [https://www.unibo.it/en/services-and-opportunities/health-and-assistance/health-and-safety/online-course-on-health-and-safety-in-study-and-internship-areas] online, while Module 3 on health and safety is to be attended in class. Information about Module 3 attendance schedule is available on the website of your degree programme”

Office hours

See the website of Ilaria Filippetti