This situation of extreme drought, particularly impactful in the Penedès region, has pushed many wine farms, mainly dryland, to fight against a precarious economic profitability, even reaching the agony of the plants in some cases. Although this serious reality can be considered exceptional, awareness of climate change alerts us to the likely continuation of this crisis in the future, with a reduction in precipitation that could lead to the closure of wine farms due to the decrease in returns
It is important to highlight that the vineyard, despite being the least water-dependent crop for its subsistence and productivity, is vital to the economy, with a significant impact thanks to the entire wine and sparkling wine production chain . The recent PRODECA study reveals a robust structure in the Catalan wine sector, with more than 750 bottling wineries, 8,500 winegrowers and an annual business volume of €1,185 million.
In the light of this panorama, the Ter Llobregat system has entered a state of emergency due to drought, with the reserves located below their 100hm3 capacity, activating the red traffic light. The evolution of rainfall in Catalonia and the situation of the reservoirs in the internal basins pressurize the need for urgent interventions.
In this context, INNOVI has developed during 2023 a series of actions as part of our initiative to address the drought:
In February 2023, the workshop Water and vines in times of drought, possibilities and alternatives was held at the Àgora Center https://innovi.cat/noticies/cellers-i-viticultors-es-troben-per-tractar- the-lack-of-water-in-the-vineyard/
In May, as part of the May Fairs in Vilafranca del Penedès, we organized the conference How we adapt the vineyard to climate change: tactics and strategies, which you can retrieve on our YouTube channel, or by clicking directly on these links:
Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvFACwFsn8U
Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdJjAPC61Sk
You can also read the news on the website: https://innovi.cat/noticies/estrategies-per-afrontar-el-canvi-climatic-i-la-sequera-gairebe-extrema-innovi-lidera-una-trobada-amb- winegrowers-and-experts-at-the-may-fairs/
Also in May, together with the Catalan Water Partnership and the Sant Sadurní d'Anoia Town Council, we organized the Water and Cellars day. How to act in the face of the climate emergency in the water in the wineries in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, you can retrieve the news at this link https://innovi.cat/noticies/innovi-i-lajuntament-de-sant-sadurni- organize-an-innovation-day-for-the-improvement-of-water-management-in-the-cellars/
In July, together with the Catalan Wine Association and the Catalan Water Partnership, we organized online the Water, vineyard and cellars conference: Water management in a water emergency context, you can recover it on our channel from youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4zpB4ZAYWM
We also collaborated in a drought work day in the Penedès, which took place in November at the Llopart winery https://innovi.cat/noticies/retenir-aigua-als-sols-de-vinya/
The teachers of the Pruning Academy agreed on two documents of recommendations for green pruning and pruning in the face of drought https://innovi.cat/noticies/recomanacions-de-poda-en-verd-davant-la -drought-situation/ and https://innovi.cat/noticies/recomanacions-de-poda-per-la-campanya-23-24/
Now, continuing with our efforts to address the effects of the drought, together with the Catalan Wine Association and the Catalan Water Partnership, we are organizing a new day "Innovative strategies for improving the efficiency of water use in the wine sector: technologies and regulations" intended for wineries that have already applied or want to apply water saving measures and that also want to reduce their consumption.
This conference aims to present water saving measures, inform about the current regulatory context and present the ViWaTec project, which will offer free diagnostic studies for companies interested in reducing their water consumption.
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