IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FUNGAL DISEASES.
Castelnuovo Berardenga, 5/21/24 – Fattoria di Valiano, the Piccini family’s estate in Chianti Classico, is getting the latest in agritech: Icaro X4. Developed by Italian startup Free Green Nature, Icaro X4 is the world’s first hybrid robot designed to treat vineyards with UV-C rays in order to reduce the use of pesticides.
“Icaro,” emphasizes Technical Director Pasquale Presutto, “will allow us to fight grapevine fungal diseases, including downy mildew, powdery mildew and botrytis. The robot moves completely autonomously, on the strength of its power supply, irradiating plants with UV-C rays thanks to panels installed on its wings. Once the path is mapped, Icarus will always be able to find its way through the maze of rows, thanks in part to the continuous monitoring operated by a series of sensors that record every slightest change in weather conditions in order to calculate the conditions for a possible infection and activate the robot’s intervention.”
Icarus X4 marks a new chapter in vine disease control in the name of sustainability and utmost respect for the environment.
“This new technology,” Pasquale continues, “ will allow us to continue on our path under the banner of environmental sustainability, inaugurated a few years ago with the complete conversion of our vineyards to organic status, in order to offer wines that know how to interpret terroir, while fully respecting the environment.