The Great British Vineyards Guide

Vineyard surveys

As a service provider in Viticulture, we work closely with vineyards to provide multispectral drone surveys of the vine, from a full site view down to individual plots, providing detailed reports and imaging to assist the Vineyard Manager or Head Winemaker in decision-making.

What is Multispectral Imaging?

Plants naturally reflect light in differing degrees, depending on chlorophyll absorption. Multispectral sensors view light in the normal visual range that our eyes can see, as well as additional bands that are invisible to us, such as near-infrared. By measuring the canopy reflectance values we are able to reliably detect stressed vegetation before it becomes visible to the eye; often around 3 days beforehand!

Multispectral images are processed through a range of vegetation indexes, which give clear insight into vine stress or photosynthetic activity. Surveys can detect the early onset of disease such as Powdery Mildew before it spreads to the rest of the crop.

Areas of interest can be targeted for a 'boots on the ground' view of a specific area, saving time and cost by reducing the need for visual inspection of every row. Savings can also be made through application of water or fertilizer to targeted areas highlighted by the drone.

Images are further complimented by satellite data layers indication water content, providing deep insight into vine health.

Monthly surveys enable growers to constantly monitor their vineyard health and protect future yields.

We can also create 3d digital models of your vineyard which are useful for visualising the layout and planning any changes. Measurements can be added to monitor growth of the vine.

Vineyards using our service have seen these proven benefits:

• With just a few weeks before harvest, the identifying of a specific plot with low photosynthetic activity, allowing the vineyard manager to rapidly intervene - within hours of receiving the survey results - with a seaweed application and so boost the chlorophyll uptake.
• The indication of powdery mildew across a broader area of a plot than previously seen 'on the ground', enabling remediation to be undertaken quickly and decisively.
• Using a final pre-harvest survey to create a picking schedule, starting with the vines with less photosynthetic activity to ensure the most active are picked last.

How much does it cost?

Surveys are competitively and simply priced to enable integration with your current management processes. Your investment includes pre-planning, the survey flight, post-processing with area analysis and comprehensive PDF report.  Choose a one-off survey to obtain a 'current state', or opt for monthly monitoring surveys across the growing season.

We charge a 'per visit' rate plus £3 or £8 per acre depending on level of detail required.  As an example, a 30 acre site survey would cost around £345 in total.

Please call us on 02382 146615 to learn more.