Southern MN Wine Grower Alliance

Quads, Drones or fixed wing aircraft. What are they and can they help in the vineyard? The future is here and new devices help save costs. Precision Agriculture and Sustainable Agriculture can have big advantages on small plots. Another tool to adapt precision agricultural practices in your vineyard may be to become airborne! Satellite images that are useful and provide NDVI images (normalized difference vegetation index) a indication of the plants photosynthetic activity. Un

The Southern Minnesota Wine Grower Alliance participated in a USDA grant to use an inexpensive sensor to quantify vine density. Results will help growers prune for optimal quality and vine balance. This trial was conducted in Cannon Falls using a sensor that retails for $140. The ability to image vines and process the results that can help small vineyard owners make decisions about pruning to improve yeild and quality. The trial may also help determine variations in growth i