Four German winemakers are trialing a secure Internet of Things connectivity solution to track the environmental conditions to which their grapes are exposed while on the vine. The solution consists of MyOmega System Technologies sensors for measuring the humidity and temperature of air and soil, as well as a MyOmega gateway device to collect that data, Ericsson‘s cloud-based Device Connection Platform, and MyOmega’s TracoVino app and hosted server. The deployment is using Telenor Connexion connectivity via a 3G cellular connection that enables the forwarding of data from the vineyard to a server.
The solution is intended to help winemakers identify conditions at the vineyards and predict the optimal times to fertilize, water and harvest their Riesling wine grapes. It also helps them to understand conditions that could lead to fungal infections or other vine diseases, or the invasion of pest plants.
Grapes, especially those used for Riesling wines, can be very sensitive to environmental factors. Riesling requires a long growth period, and climate change is critical since it can affect the growing time by three to five weeks.
Predicting the optimal time for harvesting can significantly improve quality and minimize risks for the grapes. Subsequently, the wine’s yield is increased. The TracoVino trial is intended to test how data from the vineyard can be captured and combined with winemakers’ expertise to significantly improve the grape’s quality, says Anders Olin, Ericsson’s VP of product area network functions.
Four winemakers in Germany’s Moselle Valley began testing the solution at their vineyards in June 2015, with the larger pilot for four winemakers underway in July. The winemakers—Knebel, Colene Clemens, Franzen and Reinhold Haart—all grow predominantly Riesling grapes. At each location, a total of 20 solar-powered sensor units were installed, along with a single MyOmega MYNXG Controller that serves as a gateway for the sensors units. The MYNXG Controller comes with a SIM card, provided by Telenor Connexion, that uses encryption similarly to how a mobile phone’s SIM card does, Olin says. The SIM-based security layer requires the SIM card credentials to operate, and generates security keys to set up secure end-to-end authentication and encryption of data from the gateway to the server.
Security is an important component to the system, Olin explains, because sensitive information is being sent from the vineyard, and as more systems are installed at vineyards and elsewhere, the security layer will become that much more vital.
Each sensor unit can measure the humidity and temperature levels of the air, as well as solar intensity and the moisture and temperature of the soil. The device is mounted onto a pole, while a probe for measuring temperature and moisture is inserted into the soil. The sensor unit forwards measurements at 868 MHz via a Texas Instruments (TI) Sub-1 RF system-on-chip—at regular intervals that the winemaker can preset—to the MYNXG Controller, which then sends that data to MyOmega’s cloud-based server via the cellular network.
Winemakers then use a TracoVino app provided by MyOmega to view the sensor data in real time via an iOS and Android smartphone or other device. With that information, the winemaker, drawing from his or her own experience as well, can make decisions regarding the optimal time and location for watering, as well as for the application of fertilizer and fungicides. The data can also be used to determine the best time for harvesting.
The testing will continue throughout the winter season and beyond, Olin says, and Ericsson and MyOmega will review the results early next year. “We expect them to be proven in the Q1 in line with our high-quality requirements,” he states, adding that the pilots will then continue indefinitely. “We want to test low-light sleep modes [in which the system sends data less frequently] during the winter.”
The data also enabled winegrowers to track soil-moisture levels and other conditions, in an effort to reduce the amount of plant and insect pests. The growers can compare the sensor-measured conditions with infestation rates to create a catalog of pesticide, fungicide and insect infestations that are causing diseases and the related conditions per disease. The software can also be used to store pest and infection data, along with the condition reports.
In the future, Olin says, the system could then be utilized to generate alerts for winegrowers based on such conditions as soil temperature or moisture levels that are likely to result in pests or infections.
According to Olin, the vineyard pilots illustrate one of the multiple ways in which IoT-based sensors can provide valuable data to companies or organizations. “This is one application, but the secure IoT connectivity solution could be used in many applications,” he says, citing a variety of examples, such as the tracking of conditions for utility companies, smart buildings, automotive applications, transportation and national security.
“With the evolution of sensors and standardization, the cost [of the technology] will continue to drop,” Olin says, “and the sensors will require less power.” This, he adds, will open the door for more installations of the secure IoT connectivity solution.