Using laser scanner to map pruning wood in vineyards

Abstract

Management zones in vineyards may be delineated by examining the spatial variability of various biophysical factors related to grapevine performance, such as vegetation indices. Among measurements of vine vigour, the counting and weighing of winter dormant canes at pruning is the most informative to indicate vine balance and is commonly performed manually by grape growers for management purposes. Therefore the mapping of dormant canes in winter could provide an alternative assessment of vine vigour within precision viticulture studies. Recently, laser scanners have been used to evaluate the geometry of tree canopies. In the present study, the potential of using laser scanner technology as an automated, easy and rapid way to perform mapping of the pruning wood across the vineyard was investigated. The results suggest that laser scanners offer great promise to characterize within-field variability in vine performance.