Actions

The University of Milan wants to set-up a test of a micro-irrigation system, in the vineyards of the winery Ferghettina, using a variable rate technology designed by taking into consideration the soil variability within the vineyard and managed using rational criteria (meteo data, soil moisture, physiological status of the plant)

The planned actions are the following:

• Select the vineyard where the tests will be performed
• Assess the hydrological characteristics of the soil through the use of electromagnetic measurements and pedological investigation
• Define the experiment and chose the plot where to perform the 4 thesis tests:
  • Not irrigated (witness)
  • Irrigation according to standard company modalities (control)
  • Emergency irrigation with variable rate technology managed according to rational criteria and
  • Emergency irrigation with variable rate technology managed according to rational criteria and managed irrigation to anticipated heat waves
• Measure the physiological response of the grapevine (CWSI and stem water potential, photosynthetic activity a leaf level) in order to define objectively the time in which the photosynthetic activity is affected by the reduced water income and in which the irrigation should be activated to avoid to compromise the yield and the quality of the grape (emergency irrigation)

• Measure the soil moisture, easy parameter to measure with respect to the physiological conditions of the plant and to the meteorological measurements in order to define a simplified hydric balance to define the need of emergency irrigation
• Test the irrigation to prevent the heat waves damages, which bring back the soil in high water availability before the planned thermal increase, in order to ensure a high transpiration activity of the plant and therefore an increase of the thermoregulation effect of the canopy.
• Determine the grape quality
• Microvinification and physico chemical analysis, sensorial analysis