Smart Farming Introduction in Wine Farms: A Systematic Review and a New Proposal

Abstract

This study shows a new methodological proposal for wine farm management, as a result of the progressive development of the technological innovations and their adoption. The study was carried out in Italy involving farmers, workers, or owners of wine farms who are progressively introducing or using precision agriculture technologies on their farm. The methodology proposed was divided in four stages (1. understanding the changes in action; 2. identifying the added value of Smart Farming processes; 3. verifying the reliability of new technologies; 4. adjusting production processes) that can be applied at different levels in vine farms to make the adoption of precision agriculture techniques and technologies harmonious and profitable. Data collection was carried out using a participant-observer method in brainstorming sessions, where the authors reflected on the significance of technology adoption means and how to put them in practice, and interviews, questionnaire surveys, diaries, and observations. Moreover, project activities and reports provided auxiliary data. The findings highlighted the issues of a sector which, although with broad investment and finance options, lacks a structure of human, territorial, and organizational resources for the successful adoption of technological innovations. The work represents a basis for the future development of models for strategic scenario planning and risk assessments for farmers, policymakers, and scientists.

Analyzing Precision Agriculture Adoption across the Globe: A Systematic Review of Scholarship from 1999–2020

“…Farmers are intrigued by PA innovations but are less convinced of its value even though they believe that PA technologies are useful to farming [25,26]. Barriers to PA adoption included technical issues with equipment, access to service software, the lack of compatibility of equipment to current farm operations [27], concerns regarding service providers misuse of agricultural data, challenges of managing the amount of PA data [28], user-friendly designs [10] and the cost [29,30].…”

“…Adoption refers to the decision to make full use of the innovation as the best available course of action, while rejection refers to the decision not to adopt an innovation. In adopting PA, knowledge and competences are required to acquire and manage data on farms [28]. Extension participants' knowledge increased when taught PA innovations through hands-on experiences with software, coupled with instructor guided and self-directed instruction [32].…”

Analyzing Precision Agriculture Adoption Across the Globe: A Systematic Review of Scholarship from 1999 – 2020

“…Diverse factors influence the adoption of PA. Barriers to PA adoption included technical issues with equipment, access to service software, the lack of compatibility of equipment to current farm operations [22], concerns regarding service providers misuse of agricultural data, challenges of managing amount of PA data [23], user-friendly design [10] and the cost [24][25].…”

“…The agricultural extension system plays an important role in the diffusion process of agricultural innovation. In adopting PA, it is required knowledge and competences in order to acquire and manage data in farms [23] and extension participants' knowledge increased when taught PA innovations through hands-on experience with software coupled with instructor guided and self-directed instruction [27].…”

Innovation Ecosystems: A Sustainability Perspective

“…Sarri et al introduce a new methodological proposal to help the development of smart management as a means to support the progressive development of technological innovations and their adoption in wine farms [7].…”