Technological advancements are reshaping agriculture, with innovations such as satellite imaging and artificial intelligence revolutionizing the way farmers monitor and manage their crops. The collaboration between tech startups like SpectralGeo and traditional agricultural sectors has led to significant improvements, particularly within wine production areas like Rioja.
Located at the intersection of innovation, SpectralGeo, led by Carlos Tarragona, utilizes satellite imagery combined with climatic data to predict pests and assess vine productivity. This partnership began when Pablo Franco, director of the Consejo Regulador Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) Rioja, became intrigued yet skeptical about the capabilities of this startup. Franco remarked, “No hay otro camino que no pase por una viticultura que esté aliada con la tecnología,” stressing the necessity of technology paired with tradition.
Initially, SpectralGeo monitored 65,000 hectares divided among 190,000 parcels using basic satellite images. Today, the company employs more than 1,600 variables per parcel, leveraging their AI-driven tools to forecast plant water stress and grape quality weeks before harvest. This evolution came about thanks to several coinciding factors, including advances in artificial intelligence, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the reduction of costs associated with deploying small satellites.
The use of imaging technology has gained traction, highlighting its importance during the pandemic when farmers sought remote monitoring solutions. “Con la pandemia la gente quería hacer las cosas en remoto, para no tener que desplazarse,” said Tarragona, reflecting on how these needs opened doors for technological solutions.
Aistech Space, another player in the field, complements this technological rise by utilizing thermal imaging to analyze agricultural productivity, working with companies like Nestlé and Bayer. Co-founder Carles Franquesa stated, “El sector agrícola está liderando la adopción de esta tecnología porque ya no es un lujo, es una necesidad.”
On the research frontier, the University of Málaga’s Oliver Gutiérrez Hernández is advancing methodologies to accurately assess vegetation trends, employing satellite data to distinguish between genuine trends and statistical anomalies. Their work improves clarity around the impacts of climate change on global vegetation, reinforcing the call for sophisticated tools to guide conservation and management decisions.
Using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Gutiérrez’s methodology has analyzed over 42 years of satellite data, identifying significant vegetation trends over 38.16% of the land studied, debunking previous overestimations of 50.96%. Notably, 76.07% of these trends indicate increased greening, lending credence to the notion of global greening, albeit less pronounced than earlier research suggested.
These advancements are reshaping how agricultural stakeholders approach crop management, offering predictive insights and supporting sustainable practices. The technology not only aids farmers but has broader applications for environmental monitoring, including soil moisture assessment and biodiversity evaluation. With tools like SpectralGeo's, vintners can optimize production and uphold quality standards by ensuring compliance within production limits.
According to Franco, the embrace of digitalization is transforming the sector, allowing viticulturists easier access to predictive models and crop management tools traditionally reserved for regulators. “Antes era solo para nuestro uso, pero ahora lo hemos abierto a los agricultores,” he added, highlighting the democratization of technology within the industry.
Such innovations are visible in their success during the challenging 2024 grape harvest. SpectralGeo had predicted low yields, initially met with skepticism. Yet, their forecasts proved accurate with only a 3% deviation from actual results—a hallmark moment solidifying their credibility.
Simply put, the intersections of technology, agriculture, and environmental sciences are producing practical solutions for modern problems, improving productivity, resource use, and sustainability. The continuous evolution of this sector shows promise not only for profitability but also for ecological integrity. The path forward is one where technology and tradition harmonize, ensuring the future of agriculture is both innovative and sustainable.