VidDATA: An Innovative Tool for Climate Consultation and Agricultural Planning in Viticulture
The Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables (ITER), under the Cabildo of Tenerife, has developed VidDATA, a pioneering platform designed to analyse climate evolution and its impact on viticulture in the Canary Islands. Its features include real-time climate consultation for planning activities based on weather forecasts, analysis of climate changes in cultivated areas, the generation of climate projections and agro-climatic indices, identification of optimal areas for vine cultivation under different scenarios, and simulation of wine production costs.
According to President Rosa Dávila, this new tool represents a commitment to continuing to strengthen collaboration with the wine sector, which is currently facing one of its most challenging periods. “Our commitment is to safeguard our crops and our identity. This is a step forward in adapting viticulture to climate change, as we confront uncontrollable weather events and pests.”
Thanks to high-resolution climate models developed by the GOTA group and executed on the TEIDE-HPC supercomputer, the tool will also provide specific data for the territory, allowing for agricultural planning tailored to each area and situation.
In a context where climatic variability poses an increasing challenge to the wine sector, VidDATA emerges as an innovative solution enabling grape growers, technicians, and experts to make decisions based on high-resolution climate data tailored to the Canary Islands’ unique characteristics. While the platform particularly focuses on vine cultivation—a key sector in the Canary Islands—its methodology could be applicable to other crops in the future.
The project has a budget of €574,119.48 and has been developed through collaboration with the Interacción, TIC and Educación (ITED) group and the Agro-food Economics group in the Canary Islands (ECOAGROCAN) at the University of La Laguna (ULL). This project is financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and the State Agency for Research under the R&D Projects “Collaborative Challenges” 2019. Furthermore, collaboration with the GOTA group, the University of La Laguna (ULL), and the Denominaciones de Origen (DDOO) from the wine sector has been instrumental.
A Key Tool for the Wine Sector in the Canary Islands
Insular Councillor of Innovation for the Cabildo of Tenerife, Juan José Martínez, stated, “VidDATA is a clear example of how science and technology can serve the territory and the primary sector. The Cabildo is committed to tools that strengthen the resilience of the wine sector against climate change, and this platform showcases the immense potential of our institutions when collaborating with the university and the agricultural sector.”
The tool signifies a turning point in viticulture management in the Canary Islands, providing resources for decision-making based on scientific and technological data. Its ability to integrate climate information into viticulture planning will facilitate a more efficient and sustainable management of vineyards, assisting the sector in adapting to the challenges of climate change and ensuring the viability of viticulture in the archipelago.
A High-Precision Data Ecosystem
VidDATA boasts a robust and scalable technological architecture, designed to adapt to the needs of the wine sector and evolve in response to climatic, political, or economic changes. The platform contains over 3.5 billion weather, climate, and wine production records from seven distinct data sources, visualised through more than 60 interactive dashboards, facilitating analysis and decision-making for users.
To enhance data accuracy, advanced interpolation methodologies are applied to adjust climate information to various periods and agricultural conditions. Additionally, collaboration with the Denominations of Origin (DDOO) in the wine sector has enabled the incorporation of detailed harvest traceability data, adding a crucial dimension to directly relate the impact of climatic variables to wine production.
