SheepIT, an E-Shepherd System for Weed Control in Vineyards: Experimental Results and Lessons Learned

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Animal-based weeding in vineyards is an ecological approach that cannot be implemented throughout the year, since animals are a threat to the fruits and lower branches of the vines. The SheepIT project addressed the challenge of monitoring and conditioning sheep posture by an autonomous collar. By modifying sheep behaviours, SheepIT collars allows them to be used as a vineyard weeding method. Pilot-test results showed that most animals can be conditioned using a proper combination of stimuli. As such, they interrupt their posture after audio cues. Additionally, some sheep could not be conditioned. The progression of the stimuli counters over the test days showed that the number of audio cues was higher than the number of electrostatic stimuli, proving the principle of the conditioning process, although oscillations associated with animal activity were found. The animal-conditioning analysis, and the results of the blood samples, showed that sheep bearing a collar did not face any additional stress. Additionally, the leaf-count process and the analysis of phenological evolution show that the animal’s presence did not spoil the vine’s development. ABSTRACT: Weed control in vineyards demands regular interventions that currently consist of the use of machinery, such as plows and brush-cutters, and the application of herbicides. These methods have several drawbacks, including cost, chemical pollution, and the emission of greenhouse gases. The use of animals to weed vineyards, usually ovines, is an ancestral, environmentally friendly, and sustainable practice that was abandoned because of the scarcity and cost of shepherds, which were essential for preventing animals from damaging the vines and grapes. The SheepIT project was developed to automate the role of human shepherds, by monitoring and conditioning the behaviour of grazing animals. Additionally, the data collected in real-time can be used for improving the efficiency of the whole process, e.g., by detecting abnormal situations such as health conditions or attacks and manage the weeding areas. This paper presents a comprehensive set of field-test results, obtained with the SheepIT infrastructure, addressing several dimensions, from the animals’ well-being and their impact on the cultures, to technical aspects, such as system autonomy. The results show that the core objectives of the project have been attained and that it is feasible to use this system, at an industrial scale, in vineyards.