Today, the world of viticulture is constantly evolving to deal with the undeniable need to optimise tonnages and quality to ensure that production is more suited to market demands.  Many viticulturists seek to better evaluate the maturity parameters in order to decide on the optimal harvesting date, whether the fruit is to be used for table grapes or wine production.  It is for this reason that many of them carry out maturity sampling in the vineyard.  From veraison to maturity, these measures are carried out in analytical laboratories following destructive sampling of bunches or berries on the vines. 

These procedures are costly and restrictive (destruction of samples as well as man hours, cost of laboratory analyses).  Furthermore, this mode of operating does not provide instant information on the state of maturity – this information is received some time after the sampling is carried out. 

Why the Spectron?

•          Finding the perfect compromise between the optimal harvesting date and human, climatic and economic constraints is not easy.  Harvest is a key time for growers – the full year’s work depends on this event. 

•          With the Spectron^TM, PELLENC becomes a key part of the solution.

•          This tool has been under development since 2002 in partnership with the CEMAGREF in Montpellier. 

Description of the Spectron^TM

•          The Spectron^TM is Pellenc’s own spectrometer, stand-alone, compact, light, portable and geo-localised.  This tool is designed to survey maturity of grapes in the block, by means of instantaneous and non- intrusive measures, coupled with software which models the maturation kinetic and the prediction of the optimal harvesting date.  

•          The Spectron^TM is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. 

•          The analysis is carried out directly on the vine by an operator on foot who simply touches the bunches with the end of the tool, and then presses a trigger to take the readings.

·                 The operator is able to carry out several thousand measurements per day. 

• The Spectron^TM  is equipped with a geo-positioning system which :

            - enables the association of all of the measures taken with a block previously registered,

            - ensures the traceability of results by means of precise dates and times which cannot be changed by the user, and enables one to build historical data for blocks.