How 5G is Transforming Viticulture in the Moselle Valley

Revolutionizing Viticulture with 5G Technology

The Moselle Valley, renowned for its nearly 2000-year-old winegrowing tradition and steep slopes, faces challenges such as a shortage of skilled workers and accident risks.

The "Smarter Vineyard" project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, aims to preserve this cultural landscape through 5G-based digitization and automation, enhancing regional wineries. Deutsche Telekom has equipped the vineyard with a 5G campus network, supported by an edge cloud, to facilitate digital applications like robotics, AI, and image recognition.

Innovative 5G Viticulture Robot

A 5G-enabled robot autonomously navigates the vineyards, performing tasks such as soil cultivation and defoliation.

Equipped with cameras, the robot collects data on the vines and their surroundings, enabling real-time control of cultivation equipment. This data helps winegrowers make informed decisions on water, fertilizer, and crop protection usage, optimizing vineyard management.

Expert Insights on Automation in Viticulture

Maria Wimmer, Professor of E-Government at the University of Koblenz, highlights the importance of a powerful network for automation in steep-slope viticulture. Kilian Franzen, a winemaker, notes that the robot assists with labor-intensive tasks, allowing skilled workers to focus on areas where manual work is still essential.

5G Network for Real-Time Data Processing

The 5G network, using industrial frequencies between 3.7 and 3.8 GHz, operates independently of Deutsche Telekom's public network. This private network provides exclusive access to over 100 MHz of upload bandwidth for sensor data. Future plans include developing the network into a nomadic system that moves between vineyards. The project also emphasizes emission-free operation, with an electric car supplying power to the grid.

Research on 5G Signal Propagation

The network supports research on the interference and propagation properties of 5G signals in complex agricultural environments.

This research aims to understand how objects like wire installations and foliage affect signal quality, ensuring complete and uniform coverage of the vineyards.

Smart Vineyard Project

Coordinated by the University of Koblenz, the "Smart Vineyard" project involves partners such as the Service Center for Rural Areas (Mosel), Clemens Technologies, Vision and Robotics, AeroDCS, and local winegrowers. The project helps winegrowers adapt to climate change and labor shortages while maintaining high-quality wine production. It is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.