A project aligned with INESC TEC’s TEC4AGRO-FOOD strategy foresees the creation of a spatial data infrastructure in order to support the management of climate changes in vineyards, which is the biggest challenge that the wine sector is currently facing. This work results from a partnership between INESC TEC, GEODOURO, the Association for the Development of Viticulture in the Douro Region (ADVID) and the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) through its Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB).
Temporally, the adaptation strategies and policies have to deal with potential impacts, both in the short and the long terms. From a spatial point of view, it is crucial to decide on specific adaptations based on each site, as each wine-producing region has unique contexts (the terroirs). This way, the knowledge and the understanding of the contextual factors and their interaction with the regional climate are essential to identify and prioritise adaptation initiatives at different temporal and spatial scales.
For that purpose, the quality and timeliness of the available information is an important factor that determines the effectiveness of the decisions made and the economic results. The majority of the information is linked to the location, therefore, the spatial (geographical) relevance and the applicability of the spatially related and analysed information is one of the main motivations of the INFRAVINI project. The wine-growing area of the Douro Demarcated Region was the site chosen for the pilot project.
In the testing phase, the information collected at the ADVID’s wine observatory will be cross-checked, with the help of specific equipment (soil probes, sensors, meteorological stations, among others), with the space-based climate information that the INFRAVINI platform will provide.
In the project, the contribution of INESC TEC, and namely of researchers Lino Oliveira, Paulo Monteiro and Artur Capela of the Centre for Information Systems and Computer Graphics (CSIG), foresees the scientific research, in collaboration with Geodouro, in the technological development of INFRAVINI while also participating in the creation of the marketing plan of the solution for farmers, producer organisations, agricultural associations and cooperatives and public entities, such as Regional Coordination and Development Commissions (CCDR) Intermunicipal Communities (CIM), Municipal Associations, among others.
The INFRAVINI project began in July, is schedule to end in July of 2021 and includes an investment of approximately EUR 400 000, co-funded by FEDER – the European Regional Development Fund (NORTE-01-0247-FEDER-039739).
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