New Satellite Monitoring Service for Viticulture in Cádiz
Modern viticulture faces growing challenges related to climate variability. Prolonged droughts, extreme thermal events, and irregular precipitation patterns complicate traditional vineyard management based solely on visual observation and historical experience.
In response to these sector needs, we have developed a satellite monitoring service specifically designed for winegrowers in the province of Cádiz, combining remote sensing technology with historical data analysis to provide objective information about the state of wine-growing operations.
Context and Rationale
Satellite remote sensing has demonstrated its utility in precision agriculture over the past two decades. However, access to these tools has traditionally been limited to large operations or corporate groups with significant resources.
Our objective is to democratize access to professional satellite technology, offering services adapted to the needs and scale of local winegrowers, regardless of their operation size.
Service Description
Technological Foundation
The service uses multispectral images from the Sentinel-2 satellite (European Space Agency), with 5-day revisit time and 10-meter spatial resolution. This system enables analysis of:
- NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index): Indicator of vegetative vigor and vegetation cover status
- NDWI (Normalized Difference Water Index): Indicator of vegetation water content
Analysis Provided
The service offers three levels of information:
1. Parcel Analysis (all sizes)
Individualized monitoring of each operation, with:
- Specific 2017-2025 historic data for each parcel
- Personalized baselines
- Stable references updated annually post-harvest
2. Weekly Monitoring Screening (all sizes)
During the active campaign, periodic updates including:
- Evolution of indicators relative to each parcel’s baseline
- Anomaly detection through comparison with own historical patterns
- Early warnings about significant deviations
3. Weekly Monitoring Screening + Zoning (> 5 ha)
- All screening features listed above
- Intra-parcel variability mapping (identification of different zones withing the same parcel)
- Zone-specific alerts: detection of which specific areas require attention.
4. NOTE: For parcels < 5 ha requiring zoning analysis, we recommend our drone-based precision agriculture services, please contact us for more information regarding these services.
Scope and Limitations
What the service provides
This is a services offering screening and early detection. Its function is to:
- Provide continuous surveillance of the vineyard
- Identify periods with anomalous behavior
- Identify zones with anomalous behavior (parcels ≥ 5 ha using Sentinel-2; any size with drone services)
- Offer objective data to complement field observation
- Facilitate decision-making through contextualized historical information
What the service does NOT include
It is important to specify that this service:
- Does not provide specific agronomic recommendations: the data show the observed state, but management decisions require considering multiple factors specific to each operation (irrigation system, production objectives, operational capacity, target market, etc.)
- Does not make yield predictions: the analysis focuses on the physiological state of the vineyard, not production estimates
- Does not replace field inspection: it complements direct observation but does not replace it
For winegrowers requiring data interpretation and personalized recommendations, we offer additional agronomic consulting services.
Scalable Service Model
We have designed a modular structure that allows each winegrower to choose the service level according to their needs:
Level 1: Satellite Monitoring (Current service)
- Coverage: Entire operation
- Frequency: Every week (subject to image availability)
- Resolution: 10 meters
- Function: Screening and detection of areas of interest
- Zoning capability: parcels ≥ 5 ha.
Level 2: Precision Agriculture (In development)
- Complementary aerial mapping service with centimetric resolution using multispectral drones.
- Detailed analysis of specific zones identified in satellite screening
- Zoning for any parcel
- Intra-parcel variability maps.
Level 3: Precision Applications (In development)
- Variable rate input application services
- Optimization of phytosanitary treatments
- Estimated input reduction of 20-30%
Level 4: Comprehensive Consulting (Customized service)
- Complete data analysis
- Adapted agronomic recommendations
- Continuous technical support
This model allows each operation to start with the basic service and scale according to specific needs.
Technical Methodology
Baseline Construction
Historical references are calculated using:
- Annual peaks rather than simple averages, to reflect the highest level of vine development reached each season.
- A simple anomaly indicator comparing each year (2017–2025) against the typical behavior of that parcel over time.
- Fixed reference bands showing the usual range of vegetation vigor and water behavior, so interpretation remains clear without recalculating models every week.
Climatology Update
The baseline is updated once per year (post-harvest), to:
- Maintain stability during the active campaign
- Avoid distortions from incomplete data
- Incorporate the completed season into the historic record
This methodology prioritizes the temporal consistency necessary for making operational decisions during the campaign.
Application Scope
Current Coverage
- Geographic area: Province of Cádiz
- Crop: Vineyard (all varieties and training systems)
Target Users
- Individual winegrowers
- Wineries with own vineyards
- Wine cooperatives
- Technical advisors and agronomists
Contracting Process
The procedure to access the service is as follows:
- Initial request: The winegrower provides geographic coordinates or cadastral reference of their parcels
- Baseline preparation: We prepare the personalized historic report (2017-2025) specific to each parcel
- Monitoring activation: During the campaign, the client receives weekly updates with data and interpretive charts
- Follow-up: The winegrower uses the information according to their criteria, being able to request complementary services if considered necessary
Public Demonstration
So winegrowers can evaluate the service’s utility before contracting it, we have published a regional monitoring dashboard that will be constantly updated throughout the 2026 campaign.
This dashboard shows:
- Average behavior of Cádiz vineyards
- Comparison with 2017-2025 historic data
- Weekly evolution of indicators
- Campaign climatic context
While regional data is informative, the service’s differential value lies in personalized analysis at individual parcel level, which allows detection of specific anomalies not visible in the regional aggregate.
Expanding Beyond Cádiz
While our initial service focuses on vineyards in Cádiz province, we are expanding to other regions and crops.
Are you located outside Cádiz? We can adapt our methodology to other Andalusian wine regions, other autonomous communities, or even other countries.
Do you grow different permanent crops? Our technology is applicable to rice, olive groves, almond orchards, citrus plantations, and other permanent crops. The methodology can be adapted to the specific phenological cycles and management needs of each crop type.
If you are interested in satellite monitoring services for:
- Vineyards outside the province of Cádiz
- Other permanent crops (olive, almond, citrus, etc.)
- Other geographic areas in Spain
Please contact us. We would be happy to discuss how we can adapt our services to your specific needs.
To receive information about upcoming services and system updates, you can contact us here.