Mapping of vine vigor by UAV and anthocyanin content by a non-destructive fluorescence technique

Multispectral remote sensing using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) is a promising new technique for precision viticulture because of its flexibility of use and limited cost. On the other hand, non-destructive methods to control vine vegetation status and ripening level of bunches are fundamental to produce high quality grape and top quality wines. Here, new techniques to evaluate the spatial distribution of vine vigor and phenolic maturity have been applied to the Nerello Mascalese Sicilian cultivar in the Etna region. Mapping of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was obtained by using a high-resolution multispectral camera mounted on an UAV. The spatial variability of grape anthocyanin content was detected in situ by using a fluorescence-based sensor. The two techniques appeared suitable to compare vine related information on a relatively large scale.