Smart spraying of plant health products for vineyards and olivetrees
January 7, 2022
ARIADNA draws to a close: a European project to promote the use of GALILEO satellite technology applied to urban mobility
January 17, 2022The Agricultural Machinery Unity (UMA) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) has participated in the GOPHYTOVID project to develop an automatic, universal device for the variable application of plant health products, based on plant vigour maps.
The aim of the project was to minimise the use of chemical-based plant health products in viticulture and assess the practical application of alternative bioprotectors in vineyards. In this way, the project contributes to improving the management of diseases and pests and thus reduces the costs of treatment due to the use of plant health products. When only the strictly necessary dose is applied at the right time, the food safety of the final product increases, with the resulting economic and environmental benefit.
As part of the project, a tool has been developed and applied that is efficient, easy to use and simple to treat fungal diseases and pests in the vineyard. The tool supports winegrowers in decision-making according to their production strategy. The system is based on plant vigour maps (maps that assess the development of the crop) and the use of Dosaviña (a mobile application for winegrowers that calculates the optimum amount of the plant health product and the right volume to distribute).
The results obtained have achieved a 40% reduction in the use of plant health products in conventional and organic crops. In addition, successful application of viticulture precision techniques has been achieved, and the use of highly efficient treatment equipment. Furthermore, the cost and operating time for this activity have been cut.
The consortium, led by Miguel Torres S.A., has the participation of 16 partners, including universities and wineries in Catalonia and in the rest of Spain. Gophytovid took two years (August 2018 – June 2020), and had a budget of €616,806, through the grant programme for the execution of innovation projects by Operational Groups, co-funded by the European Union and the Spanish National Rural Development Programme (PNDR).
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- The Research Group in Smart and Sustainable Resources and Industries (RIIS) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) is developing the ZeroCarbonPave project, which aims to assess the feasibility of incorporating biochar as filler and/or as the fine fraction of granular material in bituminous mixtures, with the objective of reducing the carbon footprint associated with the manufacture and laying of road pavements.
- The Center for Industrial Equipment Design (CDEI-UPC) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) is participating in a cross-border project aimed at promoting the use of advanced digital technologies in viticulture in regions on both sides of the Pyrenees. The initiative seeks to improve specialist training, technical advice and decision-making in vineyard management.
- The Centre for Industrial Equipment Design (CDEI) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), together with the IRI, Institut de Robòtica i Informàtica Industrial (CSIC-UPC), is participating in the development of a pre-commercial prototype of an automatic portable sawmill that integrates computer vision, artificial intelligence and computer numerical control to improve productivity, efficiency and safety in local wood processing for the company Envall Coop. S.L.
STOR-HY: More flexible, efficient and resilient hydropower storage for the European electricity grid
The Center for Industrial Diagnostics (CDIF) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) coordinates the European STOR-HY project, which develops digital tools, monitoring systems and advanced models to optimise the operation of pumped-storage hydropower plants and reduce their investment and maintenance costs.
