In order to transfer the knowledge acquired within the Soil4Wine LIFE+ project, a new online decision support tool has been developed, which can guide winegrowers in vineyard soil management through four simple steps: i) identification, in situ, of specific soil and environmental problems; ii) identification of the best soil management techniques to mitigate the problems detected; iii) implementation of the techniques in the specific business situations and, finally, iv) self-evaluation of the results after the implementation of the chosen solutions.
The decision support tool allows to characterize specific vineyards through the compilation of a simple checklist; a calculation module which provides potential risk indexes for the various soil threats (erosion, loss of organic substance, compaction, hard-pan, contamination, water shortage, loss of biodiversity and water stagnation), basing on site specific characteristics described during the previous step. The user is then guided in the vineyard evaluation of the real presence of one or more threats through the consultation of simple protocols, which can be downloaded as hard-copy files or directly online in the tool. Once the presence of one or more threats has been confirmed, the system indicates the possible mitigative actions to be taken to improve soil conditions (for each mitigative action there is a descriptive sheet in which all the information necessary for its implementation in the vineyard is provided); all the activities carried out in the vineyard can then be recorded in the system through a registration form. At the end of the mitigation process that can last even more years depending on the chosen action, the user is invited to repeat the evaluation of the soil conditions in the vineyard (through the use of specific protocols) to evaluate the effectiveness of the mitigation actions implemented.
The use of the tool is free of charge, as part of the validity of the project After Life Plan (2020-2022), but it is necessary to register with Horta srl services in order to have access to it: below are the instructions to proceed.
For all new users it is necessary to send a request for the credentials and instructions to access the service, through the appropriate form or by writing an email to: info@horta-srl.com
Already registered users can request access to this additional service via email: info@horta-srl.com
To access the tool click here
The decision-making tool is currently available only in Italian and English languages.
With the contribution of the LIFE financial instrument of European Community
