Measuring the minerals and trace elements present in the vine, as well as in the soil where it grows, is essential to ensure the plant’s good health, secure regular production and achieve optimal grape quality.
Managing minerals in the vine: the example of Senseen’s Nutriscope
Mineral nutrition of the vine is a key factor in ensuring its health, optimising yields and obtaining a grape quality suited to producing wines true to their terroir. Precisely measuring the minerals and trace elements present in the plant and in the soil allows growers to better understand the needs of their vineyard and adapt their cultivation practices. This approach fits fully within a sustainable and high-performing vision of viticulture.
The impact of nutrients on the vine, the grape and the expression of terroir
Each element plays a specific role: nitrogen (N) stimulates vegetative growth, phosphorus (P) supports root development and flowering, while potassium (K) improves berry quality, sugar content and stress resistance. Magnesium (Mg), a central component of chlorophyll, is indispensable to photosynthesis, calcium (Ca) strengthens cell walls and contributes to disease resistance, and sulphur (S) is involved in the synthesis of certain proteins and natural defence mechanisms.
As for trace elements, very small quantities are enough to produce great effects. Iron (Fe), boron (B), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) are all indispensable, even in minute doses. A deficiency or an excess can quickly unbalance the vine and compromise both yield and wine quality. Mineral nutrition directly influences key parameters such as sugar level, phenolic ripeness, acidity, and the concentration of aromas and polyphenols. Good nutritional balance thus allows a better expression of terroir in the wine.
Why measure essential nutrients?
Monitoring the content of minerals and trace elements, and their balances, in the sap makes it possible to anticipate and correct deficiencies or excesses before they affect the vine or the harvest, to optimise the plant’s nutrition and health, to ensure regular production of quality grapes, to preserve the longevity of the vineyard, to manage soils sustainably and to reduce costs.
Rigorous monitoring is therefore an essential lever for sustainable and high-performing viticulture.
Who is Senseen?
Senseen is an innovative French agritech company, founded in 2020 and based in Sophia Antipolis. It develops advanced technological solutions to support the agroecological transition. Its flagship product, the Nutriscope™, is a portable scanner that uses photonic technology and artificial intelligence to measure, in real time, key parameters of plant health through mineral and trace-element contents, as well as their stress (via pH, RedOx, conductivity, etc.). This innovation allows farmers to monitor the physiological state of their crops non-destructively, thus facilitating informed decisions to optimise yields while reducing the use of chemical inputs.
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