{"id":21395,"date":"2019-08-19T05:21:55","date_gmt":"2019-08-19T09:21:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/drone-buzzes-above-vineyard-helping-luxembourg-winegrower\/"},"modified":"2019-08-19T05:21:55","modified_gmt":"2019-08-19T09:21:55","slug":"drone-buzzes-above-vineyard-helping-luxembourg-winegrower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/?p=21395","title":{"rendered":"Drone buzzes above vineyard helping Luxembourg winegrower"},"content":{"rendered":"
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    Drone buzzes above vineyard helping Luxembourg winegrower <\/p>\n

    \"A
    A wine producer in Luxembourg uses a drone to spray fungicide over rows of vines. \u2014 gehringj\/IStock.com pic via AFP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    LUXEMBOURG, Aug 19 \u2014 Buzzing like a giant insect over the verdant Moselle Valley, a drone sprays fungicide over rows of vines.<\/p>\n

    Luxembourg wine producer Corinne Kox began trials of the small unmanned aircraft last month over part of her century-old family estate near the borders with France and Germany.<\/p>\n

    The test drone, guided by a pilot operating a digital control panel on the ground, sprays more accurately and less wastefully than a helicopter which her family sometimes uses, she said.<\/p>\n

    Kox, who is in her late 30s, is among the trailblazers in Europe deploying drones in wine production.<\/p>\n

    \u201cIt gives us some flexibility, especially on the slopes,\u201d she told AFP.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWith a tractor, it is sometimes dangerous to drive right after a rainfall because it slips,\u201d said Kox, who is gradually assuming management of the 10-hectare estate from her father.<\/p>\n

    Drones have been in use in California's Napa Valley vineyards for some years.<\/p>\n

    In Europe, meanwhile, drones have been used in Switzerland for about three years and in Germany since last year, according to French viticulture expert Robert Verger.<\/p>\n

    \u201cIn France, all aerial treatments in agriculture are forbidden, and the drone is classed as aerial treatment,\u201d Verger, of France's leading FNSEA agricultural union, told AFP.<\/p>\n

    Steep slopes<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Above Hettermillen village on the Moselle River, Domaine Kox sprawls over lush green limestone slopes, where grapevines have been cultivated for 2,000 years.<\/p>\n

    Born in 1919, Kox's late grandfather Francois launched a grape production business on the estate and her father and mentor Laurent turned it into a sophisticated vineyard and winery in 1977.<\/p>\n

    Kox produces white wines from Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois and Gewuerztraminer grape varieties. They also turn out a few sparkling wines as well as reds.<\/p>\n

    With a wingspan of nearly 1.5 metres and eight propellers, the drone buzzes a metre or so above the vines, its two flashing green lights protruding like antennae.<\/p>\n

    It sprays a liquid mix of sulphur and copper over the green leaves.<\/p>\n

    After flying for about five to six minutes, the drone returns to recharge its batteries and refill the plastic tank with 10 litres of fungicide.<\/p>\n

    It can fly both in automatic mode on a pre-determined route, or be guided by the pilot on the ground.<\/p>\n

    In conditions like those of the Grand Duchy's vined slopes, the drone can be an advantage, said chief editor of Luxembourg's specialist Vinorama<\/em> magazine, Erwan Nonet.<\/p>\n

    \u201cLuxembourg's average vineyard gradient is the highest in the European Union,\u201d he told AFP.<\/p>\n

    Wine growers and farmers find it safer to use drones to spread fungicides and other chemicals to protect crops, added Verger, of the FNSEA.<\/p>\n

    They are \u201cnot in contact with the product\u201d and less likely to have an accident, he noted.<\/p>\n

    More competitive?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Carrying out the trial at the Kox estate is private aviation operator Luxaviation, founded in Luxembourg in 2008, which supplies the drone and pilot.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThere are other winegrowers who are interested in drones,\u201d Christophe Lapierre, director of Luxaviation Drones, told AFP, mentioning interest from South Africa and Australia.<\/p>\n

    Costing US$40,000 (RM166,940) to buy, Kox is just leasing the drone but hopes, in the long term, it would cost the same as a helicopter but with less noise and greater efficiency.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe're still in the trial phase, so we don't have exact figures yet, but the idea is to reduce costs to match the cost of the helicopter,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

    And, although she has still to reach a final decision, Kox said that she already planned to use the drone next year over a much larger portion of the estate. \u2014 AFP-Relaxnews<\/p>\n

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