As part of the field trials for the national open innovation program Terra & Tech, promoted by the association Filiera Futura in collaboration with the Incubator of Politecnico di Torino (I3P), the Italian innovative start-up Saturnalia carried out a pilot project in the province of Lucca in Tuscany, Italy. The initiative aimed to support wine producers in vineyard monitoring by utilizing satellite data, weather information, and data collected directly in the field.
The solution used among the rows of the Calafata Agricultural Social Cooperative is based on a digital platform that integrates multispectral satellite observations, time series of vegetation indices, weather data, and georeferenced information collected via a mobile app. The primary objective of the trial was to provide producers with an operational tool to monitor the evolution of the vegetative state of the vineyards throughout the season, identify differences in vigor between plots or within the same vineyard, and support more timely and informed agronomic management.
The meeting between the parties was made possible by the support of Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca, one of the six Foundations of Banking Origin associated with Filiera Futura that have supported the Terra & Tech program since its inception, organically involving their networks of associated producers.
Testing the process
Through the analysis of satellite images, Saturnalia has made it possible to observe the trend of vegetation over time, highlighting areas characterized by different behaviors compared to the rest of the plot.
A key aspect of the experiment is the ability to leverage satellite data from previous years, allowing comparisons between the current season and available historical data and better understanding any changes in the vegetative behavior of the vineyards. This allows producers to more easily distinguish recurring variations related to soil characteristics, exposure, or agronomic management from more recent changes that may require further in-field investigation.
The satellite-derived information was combined with local meteorological data, useful for contextualizing crop development in relation to recorded climatic conditions, such as temperature, precipitation, and periods of water or heat stress. In addition to remote analyses, Saturnalia’s mobile app also allows farmers to collect georeferenced photographs, precise observations, and useful information directly in the field to describe the actual condition of the vineyard.
The innovative elements of the trial particularly concern the ability to integrate data from different sources into a single environment: satellite, weather, field observations, and multi-year historical series. This approach allows for a shift from monitoring based exclusively on spot inspections to a more continuous, objective, and regionally specific understanding of the state of the vineyards. The use of satellite time series also allows for monitoring the crop’s evolution during the various phenological phases, enabling early identification of any vegetative anomalies or inhomogeneities that may require further agronomic assessments.
The results of the collaboration
Initial results from the trial conducted in the province of Lucca have highlighted the solution’s ability to clearly describe differences in vegetative vigor across the various monitored areas, providing producers with a concise and up-to-date representation of the state of their vineyards. The combination of satellite imagery, weather data, historical series, and field data has improved understanding of the observed dynamics and provided useful information for guiding monitoring, planning, and agronomic management activities.
Overall, the trial confirmed the value of an integrated approach to viticultural monitoring, combining satellite technology, climate data, historical information, and firsthand knowledge of the local area. Saturnalia has thus launched a process aimed at providing producers with innovative tools to better observe vineyards, interpret seasonal changes, understand changes over time, and support agronomic decisions based on objective and easily shareable data.
“Thanks to Terra & Tech, Saturnalia has had the opportunity to bring a concrete experiment to the local area dedicated to monitoring vineyards through satellite data, meteorological information, and measurements collected directly in the field“, said Daniele De Vecchi, Co-Founder & CTO of Saturnalia. “Our experience with the Calafata Agricultural Social Cooperative has allowed us to directly engage with producers’ needs and verify the value of a tool capable of tracking vineyard developments throughout the season. The next steps will be aimed at expanding the platform’s use, strengthening the link between remote analysis and in-field checks, and making this information increasingly easily accessible and useful for producers’ agronomic decisions.“
