Vineyard drone surveying and mapping

As you do, we believe vine health is critical in creating the perfect wine. Grapes are monitored closely throughout the season, but wouldn't it be great to get an even closer look? To see what's under the skin? Think of it as a health check for your vineyard!

As a service provider to Viticulture we use cutting edge technology to work closely with vineyards, offering multispectral drone surveys of the vine to provide that extra level of data and insight through detailed reports and imaging. This assists the Vineyard Manager or Head Winemaker to make rapid and effective decisions.

What is Multispectral Imaging?

Plants naturally reflect light in differing degrees, depending on chlorophyll absorption. Multispectral sensors view light in the normal visual range that our eyes can see, as well as additional bands that are invisible to us, such as near-infrared. By measuring the canopy reflectance values we are able to reliably detect stressed vegetation before it becomes visible to the eye; often around 3 days beforehand!

Multispectral images are processed through a range of vegetation indexes, which give clear insight into vine stress or photosynthetic activity. Surveys can detect the early onset of disease such as Powdery Mildew before it spreads to the rest of the crop. Images are further complimented by satellite data layers indicating water content, providing yet deeper insight into vine health.

As a drone can cover a lot more acreage in a shorter period of time than traditional scouting,  you save time and cost by reducing the need for visual inspection of every row. Areas of interest can be targeted for a 'boots on the ground' view of a specific area highlighted by the drone report. Further savings can also be made through the application of water or fertilizer to drone-targeted, GPS marked areas; great for your bottom line as well as the environment!

Monthly surveys enable growers to constantly monitor their vineyard health and protect future yields.

Vineyards using our mapping service have seen these proven benefits:

• With just a few weeks before harvest, the identifying of a specific plot with low photosynthetic activity, allowing the vineyard manager to rapidly intervene - within hours of receiving the survey results - with a seaweed application and so boost the chlorophyll uptake.

• The indication of powdery mildew across a broader area of a plot than previously seen 'on the ground', enabling remediation to be undertaken quickly and decisively.

• Using a final pre-harvest survey to create a picking schedule, starting with the vines with less photosynthetic activity to ensure the most active are picked last.

How much does it cost?

Vineyard mapping surveys are competitively and simply priced to enable integration with your current management processes. Your investment includes pre-planning, the survey flight, post-processing with area analysis and comprehensive PDF report and data. Choose a one-off survey to obtain a 'current state', or opt for monthly monitoring surveys across the growing season. With no monthly subscriptions, you are truly in charge of your costs.

We charge a 'per visit' rate plus a low per acre depending on level of detail required.  We provide surveys across the South, including Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, West and East Sussex. Please contact us for a specific quote.

Please call us on 02382 146615 to learn more about the future of perfect wine.