Vineyard Automation: Future of Smart Vineyard Management
Grape growing has been a traditional business, but with the advancement of technologies in today’s world, smart vineyard management is making impeccable progress. A variety of new technologies are encompassed in viticulture by robotics which includes drones mapping vineyards, ground sensors fine-tuning irrigation, etc.
As a result, viticulture across the globe is evolving more with the adoption of advanced technologies such as automation, digitalization, and artificial intelligence.
With the reducing fertile lands due to urbanization and swift movements of skilled labor from rural to urban areas, the need for smart vineyard management technologies is gaining global sight. These technologies play a major role in pest control, crop protection, weeding, and several other vineyard applications.
What is smart vineyard management?
Smart vineyard management is a technique that helps vineyard managers and winemakers to map and monitor soil and crops and take necessary actions to enhance the viticultural yield. Smart vineyard management can be implemented on small, medium, or large-sized farms.
Some equipment used widely for smart vineyard management includes sensors, agricultural robots, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT)-based platforms, drones, etc.
Countries such as China, Japan, and India are projected to witness significant growth in the adoption of smart vineyard management in the coming years due to the rising demand for grapes and their products in these countries.
However, most of the market is led by countries in Europe, where the adoption of smart technologies in vineyard operations is well established on a large scale.
Smart vineyard management can reduce the cost of specialized manpower in such vineyards. Moreover, smart vineyard management also enables vineyard owners and managers to reduce the use of herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers, thus, further reducing their harmful implications on the environment.
Why is automation gaining demand in vineyards?
Conventional vineyard management methods are majorly led by manual labor and are projected to be surpassed by autonomous equipment because of providing precision in vineyard operations.
There are several trends that pave the way for digitalization and the adoption of smart technologies in the vineyard industry. Dry farming in vineyards is one such trend that aims to reduce environmental damage and the wastage of water through vineyard operations. It involves minimal usage of water, reliance on rain, informed usage of water, etc.
The global market for grapes and their products, including wines and juices, has been significantly growing since 2010.
The growth in the smart vineyard management market is expected to increase with the increasing need for digital and smart vineyard monitoring and management systems and solutions.
According to BIS Research, the smart vineyard management market was valued at $1.21 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $2.15 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 10.08% during the forecast period 2022–2027.
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What is the benefit of automation in vineyard management?
Precision viticulture technologies include drones, robots, and sensors that can be used for harvesting, soil mapping, crop management, and other vineyard operations. Automation technology improves the well-being of growers while increasing efficient work opportunities.
Weeding and soil mapping require less effort and time by using autonomous robots, giving farmers more time for other activities while also reducing drudgery. Moreover, robotics, machine learning, information, and communications technology (ICT), and digitalization offer multiple job opportunities to women and youth.
Viticultural automation is more prevalent in developed countries, which can be attributed to the availability of advanced technologies and equipment. However, digital innovation in vineyard management can be more attractive to developing countries as it can create more opportunities for rural areas.
Bringing efficiency to viticulture is the major aim of vineyard owners and managers worldwide, and precision viticulture is the key driver for efficient vineyard management. In compliance with this, automation allows companies to increase the efficiency of their operations and introduce mechanical precision to their winemaking process across several industries, including vineyard management, to increase the efficiency of their farms.
The adoption of smart vineyard management solutions and services in commercial vineyards offers huge cost-saving opportunities. The COVID-19 outbreak resulted in travel restrictions in many parts of the world, due to which a few countries faced labor issues and moved toward smart vineyard management as an alternative to manual labor.
Conclusion
The introduction of robotics in the winemaking plantation has increased the efficiency of viticulture.
Although major growth in vineyard management and productivity in viticulture was not witnessed in 2020 due to the lack of manual labor in the vineyards of several countries because of COVID-19, key players operating in the market are using various strategies, such as business expansions, partnerships, collaborations, and joint ventures. Moreover, they are showing keen interest in smart viticulture, resulting in the growth of the smart vineyard management market.
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