Developers: | St. Petersburg State University (St.Petersburg State University) |
Date of the premiere of the system: | 2021/05/25 |
Branches: | Agriculture and fisheries |
Technology: | GIS - Geographic Information Systems |
Main article: Geographic information system
2021: Development of a geographic information system for winemakers
Students of St. Petersburg State University have developed a geographic information system for winemakers. This was announced by the university on May 25, 2021.
A combination of soil-climatic factors and specific terrain characteristics that significantly affect the quality of agricultural production is called terroir. It is he who acquires special importance in growing grapes. The purpose of the startup Terroir concept project is to create an agroconsulting enterprise specializing in the design of vineyards and the analytical diagnosis of their environmental conditions.
The main product of the future enterprise is a geographic information software complex that allows you to evaluate land plots planned for grape planting for their suitability and correlate them with the characteristics of varieties. The use of this tool will allow winemakers to produce products that fully reflect the properties of local terroirs. Among our other services are mathematical modeling of the fertility of plots and the comprehensive design of vineyards, "says Alexander Averyanov, graduate student at St. Petersburg State University in the field of Soil Science. |
The idea of a business project is based on the topic of the scientific work of a graduate student, which he has been engaged in since his studies in master's studies. It was then that, choosing the optimal soil for grapes, he studied farms in southern Russia and France. Together with Alexander Averyanov, the team includes Olga Afonina, a student of the 3rd year of the undergraduate program "Software Engineering" and Mark Tsarukyan, a student of the 2nd year of the undergraduate program "International Relations." The role of each of them in the project is directly related to the future profession. So, Olga Afonina is the main technical developer of the software complex, and Mark Tsarukyan is engaged in product promotion both in the Russian and foreign markets.
The Terroir concept system is developed on. programming language Python It aggregates data meteorological observations and the results of agrochemical surveys. Further, based on this information , the terroir index is calculated - an indicator of the quality of soil and climatic conditions. It is the terroir index, as well as other parameters that are used in its calculation, that allow you to determine the future yield of the site and select a certain grape variety.
Some of the data required by the system is freely available. Most often, they can be used to make a comprehensive assessment in a wide range of territories. This can be useful if a person wants to look at a specific region. The second stage is the choice of a specific territory for creating an economy. A more detailed approach is already needed. Data for him are requested from a local source, for example, from an experimental station, as part of a commercial contract, "explains Alexander Averyanov. |
The vast majority of competitors of the future company in the Russian market are subordinate institutions that use conservative approaches in selecting varieties. There are also commercial firms, but most often they delegate research to the organizations mentioned above. In addition, the practice of attracting foreign specialists is widespread in Russia - for example, from French winemaking institutes. They also do not always use innovative methods, but inviting them is considered prestigious. At the same time, the domestic school of viticulture is not inferior to foreign ones, emphasizes Alexander Averyanov.
Before entering the international market, we plan to strengthen in the Russian. Moreover, this is the right time - the country has a very positive situation for the industry, since the federal law "On viticulture and winemaking" was adopted and the state policy in the field of agriculture is aimed at expanding the territories of vineyards, "said Alexander Averyanov. |
Future consumers of the company's services will be agricultural holdings and wineries. In addition, users can include seedling nurseries, which using the system will be able to more accurately select grape varieties for their customers. The team also plans to create an educational module on the concept of terroir for sommelier schools, which are actively developing in Russia.