An integrated system for agrometeorological monitoring at farm scale

Agrometeorological variables affect agricultural activities in most of their aspects; not only the phenology, the growth and the development of plants are strictly related to climate but also their sanitary conditions. In fact agrometeorological variables are among the principal factors affecting the development and the biological cycle of some important plant diseases (Huber and Gillespie, 1992). For this reason the knowledge and the monitoring of these variables on the territory represent the basis for a correct management of the sanitary treatments in vineyards and for a more thoughtful use of pesticides in order to save financial resources and to respect the natural environment. In this work an integrated system for the agrometeorological and epidemiological monitoring of a single farm is presented. The task of the integrated system is the elaboration of agrometeorological variables, their spatial interpolation on the territory on the basis of the relationships with the geotopographical parameters and the application of simulation models. The final output, both in graphic and text format, can be used as a tool to support the decision making activity and can be personalized for different agricultural situations.