9:00a.m. 2nd December 2008

| By Grainger Laffan

Old world vineyards are now being fitted with state of the art wireless sensors.

Europe's century-old winegrowing industry is feeling the pinch of competition from "new world" countries like Australia that employ modern processes - and is starting to employ wireless technology in its fight-back.

Old world vineyards are now being fitted with state of the art wireless sensors that automatically report to the vintner every 15 minutes with data on how well their grapes are growing.

The sensors analyse how much water the grapes need, the humidity, soil moisture and air temperature and identify the presence of problems such as fungal infections and pests.

The continental leap into the digital age improves wine quality, saves water and reduces pesticide use without giving up traditional practices honed over the centuries.

The system is now in operation in several Italian vineyards and the results are proving good. Vitners are able to manage their crops without leaving the comfort of their villas.

"All the data gathered from the sensors is transmitted wirelessly via an internet gateway and can be accessed by the farmer from anywhere," said Gianfranco Manes from the University of Florence.

"Winegrowers have told us that they are not interested in increasing the size of the harvest but in producing better wine, which evidently boosts their revenue. Consumers, logically, also appreciate it."

He said European winemakers are traditionally reluctant to embrace technology but the wireless system is gaining an increasing amount of interest, mainly due to the cost savings it can produce.