# Towards a Low-Cost Precision Viticulture System Using Internet of Things Devices
## 2 Background Information  
To build an efficient monitoring system for a vineyard, it is important to understand the many problems that can occur when operating and maintaining a vineyard. Not only does the perfect amount of water need to be given to each of the plants, farmers consistently need to check for diseases and pests that could severely impact a season's yield. Diseases and pests have favorable conditions for their development, and these conditions change depending on the disease or pest. In Eastern Canada, the major grape diseases present include downy mildew, powdery mildew, gray mold, anthracose, black rot, and crown gall [12]. Each of these diseases has certain conditions that promote the growth and spread of the disease, with the largest factor being the weather conditions in the vineyard. Monitoring the weather conditions is critical to determining if an outbreak of disease will occur and how large of an impact it will make. A summary of favorable weather conditions for each major disease in Eastern Canada can be seen in Table 1.  
Pests also pose a serious threat to a plant's health in the vineyard. Each of the individual pests can target different parts of the plant and become a threat. During certain times of the year and certain weather conditions, a pest is more likely to occur and special care needs to be made. A summary of the major pests in vineyards in Northeastern USA can be seen in Table 2.  
It is important to note the behavioral patterns of the pests. For example, grape leafhoppers do not affect the quality of the grapes significantly when present in moderate numbers, but they can have a rapid population increase during hot and dry years, causing significant damage [13]. At the same time, heavy rain can increase the chances of downy mildew. It is important to monitor the vineyard for weather patterns that favor particular pests that can affect the yield and health of the plants.  
Another effect the weather has on vineyards that can reduce the yield or quality is winter injury. Winter injury causes damage to the tissues inside the wood and buds of the grapevine due to temperatures dropping below a critical level for the species of grape or due to large jumps in temperature over a short period of time [14]. One of the methods to reduce winter injury in grapevines is to bury the vines or trunks of the vine to protect the plant from the cold temperatures. This is done to ensure that the vine is healthy and to reduce the damage caused by possible disease and pests. With the proposed IoT- based system, when the low temperatures are reported, proper actions can be performed on time, to avoid further damage.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Disease** & **Weather Conditions** & **Temperature Range (\({}^{\circ}\)C)** & **Time Period** \\ \hline Downy Mildew & Heavy Rain & 22–26 & June–August \\ Powdery Mildew & Overcast & 20–28 & Mid June–August \\ Anthracnose & Rain, Heavy Rain & 20–26 & June–Mid September \\ Grey Mold & Overcast, Rain, Heavy Rain & 15–25 & June–Mid July, September \\ Black Rot & Rain, Heavy Rain & 20–25 & Mid June–July \\ Crown Gall & Heavy Rain & 20–32 & Mid May–Mid July \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 1: Favorable weather conditions for the development of diseases in a vineyard in Eastern Canada [12].  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l} \hline \hline
**Pest** & **Target** \\ \hline Grape Berry Moth & Grapes \\ Grape Leafhopper & Leaves \\ Japanese Beetles & Leaves and Grapes \\ Spider Mites & Leaves \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 2: Common pests that occur in vineyards [13].