LIFE-Vitisom: An EU Project for the Set-up of VRT Organic Fertilization in Vineyard

In the vineyard, the organic fertilizer spreading in VRT mode is difficult, because the various matrices used show typically a remarkable variation in their physical parameters, such as the size, water content, density, etc., mainly due to their very different original sources and managing operations. The EU LIFE-Vitisom project (LIFE15 ENV/IT/000392) focuses on the set-up of organic fertilizer spreaders, able to the distribution in VRT mode in vineyards. The VRT distribution was based on prescription maps (i.e. referred to the plant vigour) or, as an alternative at the beginning of the growing season, using a set of sensors reading locally and in real time the branches dimension. The field tests were carried out in 2017 and 2018 seasons, and were devoted to measure the spreading quality in VRT mode of three matrices (manure, solid digestate and compost), by comparing the theoretical (implemented in the software) and the real rates distributed. In respect to the acceptable deviation (±20%), the results show values exceeding the limit in a significant number of tested conditions. A possible solution (at present under investigation) is to vary the bulkhead speed (i.e. the matrix flow to be distributed) not only considering the prescription map or the local sensors signals, but also taking into account the material density increase from the beginning to the end of a single spreading routine.