The VITICAST Operational Group, which seeks to develop innovative solutions for the prediction of fungal diseases in grapevines, has recently published the dissemination video of the project.

The video explains, through the interventions of all the members of the consortium, the activities that have been carried out since 2019 with the aim of developing a prediction model of the main fungal diseases of the vine (powdery mildew, downy mildew and botrytis). This model provides every day the risk of infection for each disease. The given risk is based on the meteorological, phenological and spore concentration parameters measured at the vineyard level. With this, VITICAST has developed a tool that allows the optimization of phytosanitary products, using them only when it exists a real risk of infection. Therefore, it will make it possible to reduce the economic losses of the wine sector as a consequence of these diseases, as well as to obtain a product of greater quality through a more sustainable viticulture.

Currently, this warning tool is incorporating the meteorological, phenological and spore concentration data from the 2021 campaign, which will increase the accuracy of the risk warnings under development.

The VITICAST Operational Group is comprised by Monet Viticultura, FEUGA, the Estación Fitopatolóxica Areeiro (EFA, Deputación de Pontevedra), the University of Vigo and the wineries Hacienda Monasterio, Matarromera and Viña Costeira.

All the information about the innovation project, available on its website: https://viticast.es/

VITICAST is an innovation project 80% co-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) of the European Union and 20% by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, within the framework of the National Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. Total project budget: 615,249.08 eur; total grant: 599,957.08 eur.