A combined geophysical-pedological approach for precision viticulture in the Chianti hills

The aim of the present work was to test and develop a combination of both geophysical and pedological survey techniques devoted to the definition of a correct plan for precision viticulture. In particular, the objective of the study was to evaluate the potentiality of a combined use of these techniques to identify areas with uniform soil properties within 4 test vineyards of the \\\"Barone Ricasoli\\\" farm, located in the Chianti wine district (Tuscany, central Italy) and to evaluate the relationships between soil properties and wine quality. Two different geophysical methods based on the measurement of the electrical conductivity were used: an electro-magnetic induction method and electric resistivity tomographies; these were combined with detailed pedological analyses and with the evaluation of remote sensing maps. All results were compared and discussed, and finally a cluster analysis based on the evidences of geophysical tests and on pedological data was performed. For each of the identified uniform areas, a separate winemaking was successively made, and the quality of the wines is discussed and correlated to the geophysical-pedological results. The study has shown that the approach used is suitable for mapping and understanding the anomalies in soil distribution which partially reflects in the quality and effectiveness of wine production. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the geophysical data alone are not able to provide any pedological information because, in the investigated area, electrical conductivity is affected by various soil properties in a complex manner; however, these methods are very useful to integrate and complement pedological data in the aims of precision viticulture.