Earth Observation Big Data for Soil Moisture Estimation Techniques in Precision Viticulture

Grapevine cultivation is one of the most relevant economic drivers of the Mediterranean basin, benefiting from favorable climate conditions, characterized by dry summers and wet winters. However, climate change poses new challenges that must be addressed and, thus, traditional farming expertise is no longer sufficient to ensure optimal wine productivity and quality. Among the key factors influencing grapevines, soil moisture plays a crucial role since it affects plant health, grape composition, and overall wine quality. Optimizing water management through advanced monitoring techniques is therefore essential for enhancing vineyard sustainability. The geomatic techniques, leveraging geospatial big data and information and communications technology, have emerged as powerful tools for monitoring vineyard health and optimizing wine productivity, quality, and sustainability. This paper presents the latest technological advancements in vineyard monitoring for soil moisture assessment, providing a comprehensive analysis of their strengths and weaknesses. The research methodology is structured into two key sections: the former focuses on monitoring technologies, while the latter describes the effectiveness and efficiency of these approaches, with particulat emphasis on machine learning applications and data fusion strategies to improve accuracy and decision-making in vineyard management. Up to now, most approaches have prioritized data acquisition and dissemination, leaving their full potential underexplored. This study outlines that integrating advanced earth observation techniques can lead to more data-driven, efficient, and sustainable viticulture.