In Jois

Star winemaker Hillinger relies on “smart” vineyards

Smart technology in the vineyard: The concept of Matthias Stumvoll and Marcel Gillinger from leova SMART convinced Leo and Leo Hillinger junior as well as HILL field manager Florian Ackermann.(Bild: Weingut Hillinger)

The Jois organic winery wants to raise the bar for innovative viticulture to the next level by using modern technology.

The arrival of modern technology in agriculture is unstoppable. Many farms are already using innovative systems such as GPS-controlled machines or field sensors. Leo Hillinger's organic winery in Jois is also one of the pioneers when it comes to progress and innovation in the field of viticulture.

New technology
With the new season, the winery has decided to implement the new leova SMART technology from voestalpine Krems in its vineyards. The use of the intelligent weather station is intended to further increase efficiency and precision.

The intelligent weather stations will be used in the vineyards this season.(Bild: Weingut Hillinger)

Minimizing the footprint
The aim is not only to obtain precise weather data, but also to gain insights into plant protection and yield protection. The technology will provide detailed information on weather conditions and the most important fungal diseases in viticulture. "Thanks to the advanced solutions, we can not only further optimize our production but also minimize our ecological footprint at the same time," says Leo Hillinger.

"Immediately convinced"
The idea came from son Leo Hillinger Junior: "We were immediately convinced of the benefits, because in addition to optimizing plant protection, we also see enormous savings potential that will lead to a reduction in our operating costs." At the same time, the winery wants the new equipment to make it fit for the new generation, according to the company.