Driven by deepening labor shortages, wine grape growers across the country have been increasingly embracing mechanization for a growing number of vineyard tasks, and now they're taking automation to another level: precision analysis tools to track vigor, predict production and spot struggling vines early.Interest is high—whether it's from big farms or small, from expansive vineyards seeking efficiencies to produce value wines or from premium plantings that aim for perfection — but just like mechanized management, these emerging tools need to be proven,said Kaan Kurtural, extension viticulturist at the University of California, Davis. As the manager of the university's Oakville Station research vineyards, he's testing many of these tools in a "no-touch" vineyard, guided by sensing technology and managed by machines.
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