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Oidio Detection a project for a sustainable application of phytosanitary treatments

Grapevine powdery mildew is a disease caused by the fungus Erysiphe necator that entails such seriousness that if the environmental conditions are favourable and the handling is not adequate, it can cause the total loss of the harvest.

In La Rioja AOc this disease is endemic and requires a frequent application of fungicides. This has economical and environmental implications that make necessary to optimize decision making when applying these treatments.

From this need, the main objective of the Oidio Detection project is to develop a tool for grape growers to optimize treatments applications based on bioclimatic models. This will allow the accurate prediction of powdery mildew infection.

Oidio Detection is a project cofunded by Ministerio de Agricultura y Pesca, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente (Spanish Ministry of Agriculture), Rural Development Programmes (RDP) and The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and promoted by Grupo Rioja with the participation of Bodegas Ramón Bilbao, Bodegas del Medievo, Bodegas Patrocinio, Bodegas Aradón, Federación de Cooperativas Agrarias de La Rioja (FECOAR), Servicio de Información Agroclimática de La Rioja (SIAR), Instituto de Ciencias de la Vid y del Vino (Institute of Grapevine and Wine Sciences) (ICVV) and Encore Lab.

For its execution, on one hand, plots in Rioja Alta and Baja will be monitored using geographic information systems (GIS) and integrated field sensors at agroclimatic stations. On the other hand, health status assessments will be carried out in the field in order to compare the previous information with the model that we wish to implement.