Municipality of Ingersheim: 20,000 euros for drone-assisted wine rescue!

Municipality of Ingersheim: 20,000 euros for drone-assisted wine rescue!

The communities in Ingersheim are facing a decisive vote on the promotion of viticulture in the region. The SPD politician Thorsten Majer has submitted an application for 20,000 euros to save the steep slopes, which he describes as a “Herculean task”. Council members will soon clarify whether these steep slopes should be retained. Christoph Leibrecht from the FDP criticized the long time that had already been wasted, while Karl Seitz from the Free Voters (FW) expressed concerns about the financial situation and called for an upper limit of 10,000 euros for funding. He warned that supporting the winegrowing association could arouse desire among other associations. Hanne Hallmann, also from the FW, advocated a limit and referred to “limited resources” in the community.

Martina Spahlinger from Co-design Ingersheim (MiT) emphasized that the cultural landscape does not just include vineyards. This discussion about the promotion of viticulture reveals the tense financial situation of the community and the different perspectives on maintaining the steep slopes.

Drones in steep-slope viticulture

The use of drones in viticulture represents an innovative solution to the current challenges of the wine market. Like that German Wine Growers Association reports, the use of drones promotes targeted and environmentally friendly application of crop protection products. This technology allows precise application using GPS-controlled flight routes and modern sensors, which both increases efficiency and minimizes the impact on non-target areas.

In 2022, the drone was used for the first time to apply crop protection products on steep slopes. In 2023, 463 hectares of steep-slope viticulture in Germany were already being cultivated with drones. The advantages of this technology also include quieter operation compared to helicopters and the reduction of soil compaction. However, there are challenges such as the requirement for visual contact and the limited flight time per battery charge. These legal and practical hurdles must be overcome in order to further advance the use of drones.

The role of the winegrowers' association

The development and support of this new technology is also a priority of the Rhineland-Nassau Farmers and Winegrowers Association, whose president Marco Weber is calling for simplifications in the approval of spray drones. The association is committed to promoting this technology and is planning talks with members of the Bundestag to represent the interests of winemakers.

The discussion about financial support in Ingersheim not only includes local aspects, but also represents part of the larger trend that is leading German winemaking into a modern, technology-supported future. By using drones, not only can the vineyards be managed more efficiently, but the cultural landscape can also be preserved in the long term.