LOS ANGELES (AP) — When artificial intelligence-supported tractors became available to vineyards, Tom Gamble wanted to be an early adopter. He knew there was a learning curve, but decided that gambling was worth understanding.
The third generation farmer purchased one autonomous tractor. He plans to deploy autonomous driving capabilities this spring, and is currently using AI sensors on tractors to map Napa Valley vineyards. Learning each row will tell you where to go when the tractor is used autonomously. The AI in the machine then processes the data it collects and helps gambling make better information decisions about his crops.
“It’s not a complete replacement for the human element of putting boots in a vineyard. That’s one of my favorite things,” he said. “But it will allow you to make better decisions smarter, more intelligent, and ultimately under less fatigue.”
Gambling said it expects to use technology as much as possible because of “economic, air quality and regulatory orders.” Autonomous tractors could help reduce fuel use and reduce pollution, he said.
As AI continues to grow, experts say the wine industry is proving that businesses can efficiently integrate technology to supplement their labor without stoking employees. New agricultural technologies like AI will help farmers operate more efficient and sustainable vineyards by reducing waste, monitoring water use, and determining when and where to use products such as fertilizer and pest control. According to farmers, AI-supported tractors and irrigation systems can minimize water use through soil and grape analysis, and help farmers manage their vineyard acres by providing more accurate data on crop health and seasonal yields.
Other aspects of the wine industry have also begun adopting the technology by using generative AI to create custom wine labels and then turning to ChatGpt to develop, label and price the entire bottle.
“I think the tractor operators have improved their skills and as a result, they oversee a small fleet of these machines out there, so no one is losing their jobs.
According to gambling, farmers are constantly evolving. The tractor was frightened when horses and mules were pulling the plow, but the technology “proven in itself” like AI farming technology, he says, adding that it always takes time to adopt new technologies.
Companies like John Deere have begun using AI, which wine farmers are beginning to employ. The agricultural giant uses “Smart Apply” technology on tractors. For example, Grape canopy uses sensors and algorithms to sense leaves to help growers apply materials to crop retention.
Tractors using that technology simply spray “to avoid unnecessarily spraying ingredients, such as in places where grapes or leaves are present,” he said. Last year, the company announced a project with Sonoma County Wine Glowers, which used Tech to help wine grape growers maximize their yields.
Tyler Klick, a partner at Redwood Empire Vineyard Management, said his company has begun automating irrigation valves at vineyards that will help manage it. The valve will alert you if a leak occurs and will automatically shut down if you notice “excessive” water flow.
“That valve is actually beginning to learn to use typical water,” Crick said. “We learn how much water is used before production starts to drop.”
Klick said each valve costs around $600 plus $150 per acre each year to subscribe to the service.
“Our job is to adjust operations to the climate conditions we are dealing with,” Crick said. “We can see AI helping us in a finite state.”
Angelo A. Camillo, a wine business professor at Sonoma State University, said despite the excitement of the wine industry’s AI, some small vineyards are more skeptical about their ability to use technology. The small, family-owned business that Camilo said makes up about 80% of America’s wine business is slowly disappearing. Many don’t have the money to invest in AI, he said. For example, a robotic arm that helps put together a palette of wine would cost as much as $150,000, he said.
“There’s a question mark in a small winery. This is an investment. Then there’s education. Who will work with all these AI applications? Where is the training?” he said.
Scalability also poses potential challenges, Camilo added. For example, drones could be useful for small vineyards that can use AI to target specific crops that have bug issues.
“I don’t think people can manage 40 drones as a pack of drones,” he said. “So there are restrictions for operators to adopt certain things.”
But AI is particularly good at tracking crop health, including how the plants themselves are growing and whether they are growing enough leaves, says Mason Earles, an assistant professor at UC Davis’s Plant AI and Biophysics Lab.
Yearles says diseases and viruses can sneak up and destroy the entire vineyard, calling them “elephants in the room.” The process of replanting and successfully producing vineyards takes at least five years, he said. He said that AI can help growers determine which viruses are affecting the plant, and whether they should quickly tear the crops apart to avoid losing the entire vineyard.
Earles, who is also co-founder of AI-powered farm management platform Scout, said his company uses AI to process thousands of images in hours and extract data quickly. Scout’s AI platform measures the number of grape clusters as early as the plant begins to flower to predict what its yield is.
He added that the sooner you know how much Vinner expects, the more you can “dial in” the winemaking process.
“Predicting what you’ll get at the end of the season, no one’s good at it right now,” he said. “But that’s really important because it determines the amount of labor contracts you need and the supplies you need to make wine.”
Earls does not believe that the budding use of AI in vineyards is “funnying farmers.” Rather, he predicts that AI is used more frequently, to support difficult outdoor labor and to identify problems with vineyards where farmers need help.
“They have seen people trying to sell their technology for decades. Farming is difficult. It’s unpredictable compared to most other jobs,” he said. “Walking and counting, I would have said a long time ago, ‘I’d be happy to take over the machine.’ ”
