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The French company Mo.del has developed a "vine umbrella" called the Viti-Tunnel, which can cover rows of vines in less than a minute. The aim is to protect the vines from rain, hail and peronospora. The system works automatically with the help of sensors: without human intervention, it is extended and retracted as often as necessary depending on the weather conditions. After years of experimentation, the "Viti-Tunnel" will now go into production at a cost of around 60 euros per running metre.
The system was tested for five years at twelve wine estates in Bordeaux, including Château Quinault L'Enclos in the Saint-Émilion appellation. The château, which belongs to the LVMH Group, is managed by Pierre-Olivier Clouet, General Director of Château Cheval Blanc. Clouet sees the Viti Tunnel as a "good solution" for continuing to produce wine in the town, as the innovative system would reduce plant protection treatments by 90 per cent. "Without rain, no mildew. The challenge is to ensure that the drops don't touch the plants," says Pierre-Olivier Clouet. With a density of 6,500 vines per hectare, the plot in Saint-Émilion planted 40 years ago did not even need to be adapted to set up the Viti tunnel.
In particular, vineyards that are close to homes, schools and playgrounds could be equipped with the Viti tunnel. "Anything that makes it possible to preserve viticulture in the heart of the city interests us," says Laurence Rouède, the first deputy mayor of Libourne in the Gironde department. Around 25 per cent of the town's surface area is planted with vines. Since 3 June, ten rows of vines right next to a primary school in Libourne have been equipped with the retractable tunnel system.
The Viti tunnel was designed by Patrick Delmarre, a former salesman of plant protection products. He founded his start-up company Mo.del in 2016 and patented his design for the Viti tunnel shortly afterwards. The system has an estimated lifespan of 20 years. According to Delmarre, the plastic tarpaulin will last five years before it needs to be replaced. "We are still at the beginning," says Patrick Delmarre, who would like to offer two types of Viti tunnel in the long term: the premium version and a manual, more affordable version that does not require a motor or solar panel. "In any case, our aim is obviously not to cover all 730,000 hectares of vineyards in France," says Delmarre.
"Our aim is to offer a solution for two categories of plots: those that are historically and regularly affected by disease, frost or hail damage, and those where pesticides are a difficult problem to manage," says Patrick Delmarre. So far, three Viti tunnels have been sold and a fourth is awaiting authorisation from the Institut National de l'Origine et de la Qualité (INAO).
(ru / Vitisphere)