DISMEX: Digitalization of Existing Machinery in Vineyards
About this good practice
Problem Addressed: Precision agriculture presents significant challenges for the grape and wine industry. Data-Driven Decision-Making tools are essential.
How Objectives are Reached: INNOVI identified challenges through interactions with grape growers and sought innovation partners within FEMAC (Catalan cluster). Companies JYMPA (plow machinery) and WAATIC (smart spraying) participated, forming in 2021 a consortium adding a winery. The project was regionally funded by a scheme embedded in the Catalonia Cluster Programme, the operational side of the policy. Its enhance the efficiency of existing machinery through digitalization for data acquisition while performing their primary functions, such as harvesting, plowing, and spraying.
The main project’s activities were:
- Analyzing agronomic and machinery needs and existing data
- Defining software, sensor, and electromechanical element functionalities
- Investigating "soil compaction" and "smart spraying" technically and economically
- Conducting a technical and economic feasibility analysis
After 1 year, 2 pilot test machines were digitalized. One, smart spraying hardware and software, adjusted pesticide doses based on plant vigor data, making it greener. The other, a plow machine with sensors and software, collected soil compaction data.
Beneficiaries: agricultural machinery suppliers (developing smart tools) and wineries (reducing data acquisition costs and enhancing operational efficiency with data-driven decisions).
Resources needed
Total cost of the project: 62.000€.
- 70% of public funds (ACCIÓ)
- 40.000€ for personnel cost and 22.000€ for hardware.
Evidence of success
Four main outputs were obtained, being the 2-pilot test machinery the most important ones:
1.- Report of agronomic needs, of machinery for its sensorization and automated management
2.- Report on the technical and economic feasibility of the sensorization and automation of the existing machinery.
3.- A pilot test smart spraying hardware and software applied on existing spraying machinery
4.- Sensorized plow machinery to obtain data about soil compataction
Potential for learning or transfer
This project shows strong potential for learning and transfer in several key areas:
Integration of Existing Machinery, and scalability: Enhancing existing agricultural machinery with smart technology can be applied to other sectors, reducing the need for specialized equipment.
Cost Efficiency: Integrating data acquisition into primary functions reduces costs and can be adopted in other regions or industries with budget constraints.
Collaborative Innovation: The successful multi-stakeholder collaboration model can address complex challenges in other industries.
Data-Driven Decision Making: The methodologies and technologies developed can be transferred to other crops or processes, promoting digitalization of precision agriculture.
Sustainability: The environmentally friendly smart spraying technology facilitates the reduction of pesticides and thus be greener. It can be a model for sustainable agriculture practices globally (facilitating green transition).
Further information
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Catalan Agency for Business Competitiveness (ACCIÓ)
