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Castel San Pietro Terme (BO), June 2024 - xFarm Technologies, the tech company that focuses on the digitization of the agribusiness sector, will be present again this year at Enovitis in campo (June 12-13, Agrivar di Palazzo di Varignana, Castel San Pietro Terme, Bologna), the fair where it will be possible to touch the most modern technologies, materials and equipment dedicated to viticulture.
Prominent among them was the smart irrigation tech company's proposal, xIdro Irrigazione Automatica, which was the winner of the Green Innovation Award as part of the Innovation Challenge 2024 at Enovitis.
There are numerous events organized by the company at the fair: starting on June 12 at 11 a.m. with a demonstration of the Smart Spraying system for variable-rate crop spraying at the COBO booth in the West Vineyard, rows 15-17; the event will be repeated at the same time on June 13. Later, also on the first day of the fair, a demonstration of the use of drones in viticulture will be held at the xFarm Technologies booth at 3 p.m. in collaboration with SkyDrone360. To close out the day, a tasting will be held at the xFarm Technologies booth in collaboration with a number of client wineries, which have already digitized their production: Rocca di Montemassi, Tenute Girolamo, Varvaglione 1921, Cecchetto, Castello di Albola, Bruni, Torraccia del Piantavigna, Azienda Vitivinicola Enrico Crola, Azienda Agricola Inama, and Vigna Dogarina. Finally, on June 13 at 12:30 p.m., the conference "The Link Between Digital Agriculture and Productivity in the Wine Sector" will be held at the conference area.
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Ongoing climate change has changed the approach to irrigation, including of vineyards. Whereas once we could rely on cadenced rainfall today this is no longer the case. Increasingly, even in viticulture, it is necessary to rely on intelligent irrigation systems that can support cultivation even during drought periods, thus ensuring good productivity.
The new proposal from the tech company consists of an IoT (Internet of Things) device and a software module (Automatic Irrigation). The latter is available directly in theapp xFarm, designed for agronomic management of farms and supply chains.
The IoT device, xIdro, which can be used individually or in a network, allows control of pumps, solenoid valves and transducers, adapting to most systems, without the need to replace hydraulic components. Once the device is installed, the Automatic Irrigation module allows configuration of the hydraulic system directly throughapp, with a single click. With this new implementation, it is possible to create customized irrigation zones and programs in base to the needs of your farm, always being able to count on both a history of the data of irrigation activities already carried out and the details of scheduled activities.
The Automatic Irrigation Module arrives as a further upgrade of xFarm Technologies' offerings in the field of informed use of irrigation resources, representing a further step toward automation than the Irrigation Module, which can still be combined with it to implement efficient irrigation strategies that ensure adequate and quality production. Also completing the offering are soil moisture sensors and weather stations signed xFarm Technologies.
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xFarm is a comprehensive platform for coordinating in one digital space every aspect of the farm: from management to defense to input use, including water. Numerous wineries have chosen it, given thewide range of services dedicated to vines, especially for defense against diseases and phytophagous insects, the two main issues related to this crop.
The Defense Module helps winegrowers more effectively and sustainably combat diseases such as downy mildew(Plasmopara viticola) and powdery mildew(Erysiphe necator): using data collected from sensors in the field, such as the leaf moisture sensor, predictive models assess the risk of spore germination and infection, while also estimating the residual protection given by the treatments performed. Decision support systems (DSS) then help the farmer identify the best time to treat.
Automatic xTrap traps enable artificial intelligence algorithms to capture and recognize major grapevine pathogenic insects, including the dreaded Spahoideus titanus, vector of flavescence dorée. Subsequently, a predictive model included in the Insect Module allows to predict population development and identify the best time to intervene.
"We are happy to take part in Enovitis in campo 2024, an event that every year marks a milestone for the world of viticulture in Italy. We are confident that our new system for automatic irrigation management can find fruitful applications in the world of viticulture, but not only, greatly easing the burden of managing water resources, which are increasingly important for a good harvest year," comments Martino Poretti, Head of IoT at xFarm Technologies.
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