In this project the equipment of a vineyard with networks of sensors that collect a series of chemical and microclimatic parameters and which make such data available to growers is proposed. This will make it possible to provide to professionals inthat sector, which already have significant expertise and sensitivity inmanaging the process of cultivation and production, a new tool that enablesthem to further improve the quality of their product, reducing costs andpreserving the environment. Monitoring in this context aims a number ofobjectives: (i) improvements in productivity, (ii) improved quality, (iii)optimization of resource use (e.g. water), (iv) minimization of 'environmentalimpact (use of pesticides, herbicides, etc.), (v) lower costs (automation ofoperations, optimization of interventions). To be most effective, monitoringthe weather should be performed on two different spatial scales: (a)macroclimatic or meteo monitoring , which measures the weather of the entirecultivated area, (b) microclimatic monitoring, which performs measurementsat much shorter distances and with a spatial resolution much higher in thecultivated area. Each crop has special monitoring requirements, related to thedifferent sensitivity of individual plant species to various climatic parametersand the specificity of the threats caused by them. Viticulture, as a first phase ofthe wine production process, is one of the crops most valuable in terms ofeconomics in general in Italy and in the Abruzzo region. The specificrequirements for monitoring applied to winemaking can be summarized asfollows.Macroclimatic monitoring - integrated monitoring of: (a) air temperature, (b)direction and speed of wind, (c) rainfall intensity; in order to: (i) report in nearreal time the approaching of frosts, (ii) create statistical maps of the risk of icyconditions, (iii) create historical maps of macroclimatic conditions for thepreparation of estimates of the maturation process and the addressing ofharvesting operations (quality improvement), (iv) develop estimates of theamount of water fallen on the cultivation in order to manage selectivelywatering operations (optimization of resources) and make assessment of therisks associated with excessive release of water.Microclimatic monitoring - integrated monitoring of: (a) solar radiation, (b)humidity, (c) soil moisture, (d) moisture of the leaves, (e) soil pH, (f)concentration of CO in air, (g) concentration of iron in the soil (h)concentration of herbicides in soil.There are several classes of end-user that might be interested in the type ofinformation that can be extracted from the base of raw data collected. Amongthem there are farmers, associations and public agencies operating in theagrifood industry sector, public bodies operating for the protection of health,and organizations concerned with intellectual property protection.

Fortunato Santucci

Fabio Graziosi

Luigi Pomante

Alesii Roberto