New video online: Meteomatics for Farming Resilience

In the framework of the MAGDA project, Meteomatics launched its Meteodrone system in Burgundy, France, remotely operated from Switzerland. The Meteodrone will fly daily, collecting weather data crucial for improving forecasts. This initiative aims to assist winemakers in mitigating weather-related risks due to climate change, ensuring better harvests and wine production.

Improved weather prediction

Reliable weather prediction and efficient irrigation practices are essential for modern agriculture. Advanced technology such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and drones allow precise atmosphere monitoring. The EU-funded MAGDA project will develop a toolchain for atmosphere monitoring and weather forecasting, and an exact weather/irrigation/crop monitoring advisory, with GNSS including Galileo at its core to deliver valuable information to agricultural operators. The project will exploit the potential of assimilating GNSS-derived, drone-derived and Copernicus EO-derived data sets to improve the prediction of severe weather events and weather-driven agriculture pests and diseases. The improved weather forecast will in turn drive a hydrological model for irrigation performance and water accounting.

Meteodrone Launch in Burgundy

On March 5th, 2024, the first instruments were installed among the Burgundy vineyards, specifically in the town of Chassagne-Montrachet. The metIS-Hub and GeoGuard GNSS sensor instruments from Cap2020 and GReD were installed in the vineyards of Maison Louis Jadot, while Meteomatics’ Meteodrone system was set up in the backyard of Domaine Vincent & Sophie Morey.

This initiative will aid winemakers in safeguarding their vines against adverse weather conditions such as frost, hail, and heatwaves. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure optimal harvests and sustained production of exceptional Burgundy wine, despite the escalating weather challenges due to climate change. Improved weather forecasts would enable winemakers to anticipate necessary measures, like preemptively installing candles to warm the atmosphere in the event of approaching cold or frost.

Access full article: https://www.meteomatics.com/en/customer-stories/magda-meteodrone-launch-france/

Drone video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ_2WHUBkIY&ab_channel=MAGDAProject