On 23 February 2024, at the G. Penna Higher State Education Institute in Asti, the Barbera d'Asti e Vini del Monferrato Consortium illustrated the important progress of the NoviAgri project , a pioneering initiative aimed at improving and optimizing disease control in the vineyard through the advanced use of technologies and artificial intelligence.
Launched with the ambition of reducing the environmental impact, reducing the waste that occurs during vineyard treatments and therefore the costs of managing the latter, NoviAgri has already demonstrated promising results.
“ We are extremely proud of the progress made with the NoviAgri project ,” says Vitaliano Maccario, President of the Consortium . " The integration of artificial intelligence in viticulture is not only the future, but is already a reality in our territory, demonstrating that technological innovation can go hand in hand with the tradition and manual skills of our winemakers. That of research is for the Consortium one of the most important themes, linked to the protection of the territory: we are at the forefront in helping our winemakers in fighting the diseases present in the vineyard ".
The advances achieved to date are important: thanks to an intensive testing phase, a precision atomizer prototype has been developed that automatically regulates the flow of plant protection products, minimizing dispersion and maximizing effectiveness and which will be possible for farmers from 2025 use in your vineyards.
It has also been developing a mobile application and a Decision Support System (DSS), i.e. an innovative app and a decision support system that are now able to recognize plants affected by Flavescence Dorata and esca disease, marking a significant step forward in the management of vineyard diseases.
The partnership between the University of Turin, Tecnovict-Spezia Srl, CSP Innovation in ICT, and the Consortium itself has led to a multidisciplinary approach, essential to face the challenges of modern viticulture.
The initial success of the prototype sprayer and DSS highlights NoviAgri's potential not only to improve efficiency and reduce costs for winemakers, but also to contribute to greener and more sustainable viticulture.
“ The project will have an international echo: on 5 April 2024 it will also be presented to the OIV, the International Organization of Vine and Wine, and for us it is a great recognition of the excellent results achieved so far ” - declared Mario Fregoni, famous full professor of Viticulture at the Catholic University of Piacenza and luminary in the field.
The Barbera d'Asti e Vini del Monferrato Consortium is enthusiastic about continuing on this path of innovation and sustainability, confirming its commitment not only towards the exceptional quality of its products, but also towards the protection of the environment and the health of consumers.
