Agriculture 4.0 – The Pergola System and Modern Technologies for Table Grape Production

In recent years, agriculture in our country has been increasingly affected by climate change. In order to minimize crop damage as much as possible and maintain high-quality yields, more and more producers are turning to modern technologies.

One of them is Ion IONAȘ, who owns 10 hectares of Moldova grape variety vineyards in the village of Grozasca, Ungheni district. Thanks to the digitalization of his business, the horticulturist harvests approximately 30 tons of grapes per hectare each year.

ccording to the entrepreneur, the pergola system offers multiple advantages over traditional plantations. It provides protection for grapes against scorching sunlight, rain, and mold, while also increasing yields several times over. After planting the vines, the horticulturist encountered his first challenges, which in turn compelled him to find urgent solutions to protect the plantations.

1. The first and best decision was the installation of an anti-hail net, with a total plase antigrindină, cost of approximately two million lei.
2. The next stage, no less important, was the installation sistemului de irigare of a modern irrigation system. Thanks to it, the company’s management is able to remotely monitor the volume of water and fertilizers required for the proper development of the plants. Ion IONAȘ also revealed that previously around 70 employees were needed to irrigate the vineyards, whereas today this number has been reduced to just two people.
3. Another technology that allowed the horticulturist to save time and resources was the installation of two stații meteoweather stations. These provide important data for decision-making during the production period, such as air and soil humidity and temperature, wind direction and speed, disease forecasting for agricultural crops, and the identification of frost risks, which can also be monitored through mobile applications..
4. Another aspect that helps the horticulturist in managing the business is the monitoring of machinery used for plantation maintenance. Thanks to multiple sensors, employees’ working hours can be easily calculated, as well as the amount of diesel fuel consumed.

To encourage other colleagues in the field, Ion Ionaș mentioned that the most important thing in starting and maintaining a business is taking the right steps from the very first day.

Digitalizarea întreprinderii permite o mai bună organizare a muncii. Informațiile rezumative, obținute de pe teren cu ajutorul platformelor online, conțin o arhivă de imagini din satelit stocate timp de mai mulți ani. Acestea fac posibilă determinarea zonelor de dezvoltare neuniformă a plantelor, studierea influenței reliefului asupra dezvoltării culturilor horticole.

Această emisiune este realizată cu susținerea Elveției și a organizației Helvetas, prin Proiectul OPTIM.