News

• The ECO-UVA Operational Group aims to reduce the carbon footprint by developing alternative technologies to conventional phytosanitary treatments to control diseases such as powdery mildew and downy mildew.
• The project will test electric tractors and autonomous systems to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions associated with vineyard work
• The solutions will be validated on farms in Catalonia, Aragon and Castile and León to study their technical, economic and environmental viability.

The wine industry faces the challenge of moving towards production models with a lower environmental impact without compromising the viability of farms. In this context, the incorporation of new technologies can open up alternatives both for reducing the use of chemical treatments and for decreasing energy consumption and emissions associated with vineyard operations.

The Operational Group (OG) is working towards this objective.   ECO-UVA is a supra-regional initiative that seeks to integrate clean, digital, and automated technologies to reduce the carbon footprint of winemaking practices. The project combines solutions based on UV-C ultraviolet light and ozone for fungal disease control with the use of electric machinery and autonomous systems, which will be tested under real vineyard conditions.

Alternative technologies for disease control and vineyard operations

One of the main areas of work for the GO ECO-UVA project is the search for alternatives to conventional phytosanitary treatments for controlling fungal diseases, especially powdery mildew and downy mildew. To this end, the project will study different technologies:

• UV-C ultraviolet light , through the development of a proprietary technology for the control of these vine diseases.

• Ozone , whose use will be validated as a single or complementary treatment to understand its behavior under real conditions.

• Electric machinery , with the testing of an electric tractor and different implements to analyze its autonomy, operational capacity, energy consumption and potential for emissions reduction.

• Autonomous systems , intended for the application of UV-C treatments in the field and the improvement of the efficiency of operations.

These solutions will be tested on different farms to evaluate their performance in diverse territories and management conditions. Among the systems to be used in the demonstrations is UV-Boosting Helios—a plant protection device that uses radiation to stimulate plant defenses—with trials planned in vineyards belonging to Viñas del Vero , Bodegas Beronia , and Legaris .

“It’s not just about studying solutions in the abstract, but about testing them in real vineyard conditions,” explains Xavier París, technical manager of INNOVI , the entity that coordinates the GO ECO-UVA.

Evaluate its effectiveness and adoption potential

In addition to testing the technologies' functionality, the project will analyze the conditions necessary for their integration into wine-growing operations. The tests will allow for the study of different aspects:

• Effectiveness and performance of the solutions.

• Energy consumption and emissions reduction compared to conventional technologies.

• Costs and economic viability .

• Usage needs , training and logistics.

• Scaling possibilities to different exploitation models.

The project is still under development and has not yet reached final results. So far, one of the main achievements has been finalizing a technological solution for demonstrations through the rental of the Helios UV-Boosting system.

A supra-regional experience to boost wine innovation

The GO ECO-UVA is coordinated by Associació AEI INNOVI and includes the participation of:

• Codorníu SA

• Viñas del Vero SA

• San Miguel Agricultural Exploitation SLU.

• Legaris SL

• Bodegas Beronia SA .

In addition, the project has different subcontracted entities linked to knowledge, technology, communication and innovation, which contribute to the development and validation of the different solutions.

The supra-regional nature of the Operational Groups allows them to work with different companies and production realities in Catalonia, Aragon, and Castile and León, facilitating the comparison of technologies across different territories, varieties, and management conditions. “Supra-regional Operational Groups are invaluable because they allow us to connect companies, knowledge centers, and very diverse territorial realities,” notes Xavier París.