RFID microchips as a tool for traceability in grapevine nurseries: pre- and post-grafting implants

Abstract

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has been used for some years for the identification and traceability of various products. This approach has been successfully adopted also in the agrifood sector to guarantee a reliable traceability system. In grapevine nurseries, the storage of data in a field log is an essential step in the plant production process. Electronic tagging of grapevine propagation materials proved technically feasible, although the cost of microchips (still too high compared to the average price of grapevine rootlings) continues to hinder their routine adoption in nurseries. Nevertheless, electronic tagging could be advisable for “basic” material (that used by nurseries to establish their mother-vine vineyards) as it has greater commercial value.