| Title |
Assessment of map based variable rate strategies for copper reduction in hedge vineyards |
| ID_Doc |
64790 |
| Authors |
Garcia-Ruiz, F; Campos, J; Llop-Casamada, J; Gil, E |
| Title |
Assessment of map based variable rate strategies for copper reduction in hedge vineyards |
| Year |
2023 |
| Published |
|
| DOI |
10.1016/j.compag.2023.107753 |
| Abstract |
Reduction of Plant Protection Products (PPP) has become a priority in agriculture, led by European directives and regulations due to the negative impacts and social awareness that pesticides have raised in the population. In viticulture, the use of copper to control Downy Mildew (Plasmopara viticola) is posing severe problems of soil, water and environment contamination, and European Commission is regulating its use through the EU regulation 2018/1981. A targeted spraying management can be done benefiting from the novel development of variable rate application (VRA) technology for orchard sprayers, resulting in savings of PPP. In this research, the quality of the application in terms of copper deposit in leaves of two VRA strategies where compared versus the con-ventional strategy performed by the farmer (REF). In each of the two VRA strategies, copper dosage was selected 1) maintaining copper dose per hectare (VRA) and 2) following the copper concentration listed in the product label (VRA[Cu]). Drone based NDVI maps from three commercial vineyards were used to characterize the structure of the vegetation in every vigour zone and manual measures in field were used to determine the most appropriate spraying volume rate according to canopy characteristics. Results show that a reduction of 33 and 44 % of copper used per hectare did not have significant impact on the quality of the application. On the contrary, while leaf deposit was comparable to that achieved by REF strategy, the product was better distributed across the entire canopy. Savings of 40 % of copper could be achieved in in the PPP application calendar along the season 2019 with no influence in disease control. Impact of PPP can be reduced by incorporating digital technologies, and the objectives of the Farm to Fork strategy and the European Green Deal can be met ensuring a more sustainable agri-food production. |
| Author Keywords |
Variable rate application; Prescription map; Copper reduction; Leaf deposit; UAV; Vineyard; Sustainability |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) |
| EID |
WOS:000955121000001 |
| WoS Category |
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary; Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications |
| Research Area |
Agriculture; Computer Science |
| PDF |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2023.107753
|