Smartphone vineyard mapping is giving growers a new way to create detailed, vine-by-vine maps using nothing more than a smartphone. VineIQ says its technology allows growers to walk through a vineyard block and create a digital map showing individual vines, rows, boundaries and planted acreage without an RTK rover, drone or cell service.
Mapping Vineyards With a Smartphone
The technology is designed to simplify vineyard mapping by eliminating the need for an RTK rover or drone. Growers can walk through a block with a smartphone while the system creates a digital representation of the vineyard.
Once the mapping process is complete, each vine receives its own digital location. That information can give growers a more detailed view of individual plants and provide a foundation for tracking vineyard conditions over time.
The approach could be particularly useful for growers managing large blocks where keeping track of individual vines can be difficult. Instead of relying solely on field notes or general block-level information, growers can create records tied directly to specific plants.
Tracking Vine Health Over Time
VineIQ’s system also allows growers to record problems associated with individual vines. Issues such as dead, missing or symptomatic vines can be documented and tracked from one season to the next.
That vine-level information could help growers identify areas that need attention and maintain more consistent records when managing vineyard blocks. The data may also support decisions involving replanting and monitoring potential disease concerns.
Because the mapping system is designed to work without cell service, growers can use the technology in vineyard locations where connectivity may be limited or unavailable.
The ability to combine vineyard mapping with ongoing plant-level records could give growers another tool for managing production and documenting changes within their blocks. As precision agriculture technology continues to develop, systems that make detailed field data easier to collect could become increasingly useful for specialty crop producers.
Listen to the full report for more agricultural technology news and updates affecting growers.