Grapes (Vitis vinifera) are extensively grown in tropical and sub-tropical climate for its wine as well as direct consumption as table grapes or raisin. Grape production substantially contributes to the economy of smallholder farmers of developing countries. Despite the relevance of grape production in the international market and the potential for boosting rural economy, the automation in grape production is very low. Mechanization in grapevine cultivation is an indispensable factor for timely operations and cost-savings. Therefore, the technological interventions for grapes production as well as its management in vineyards have been reviewed in the paper. Vineyards are undergoing a gradual transformation into a mechanized way with the advent of newer and ready to adopt technologies like planting, pruning, weeding, spraying, fertilizer application, irrigation and harvesting. However, selective in nature, some operations are still carried out manually like pruning, weeding, and harvesting in developing countries. Although complete mechanization is possible for each production and cultivation process tedious and labor-consuming practices must be prioritized for mechanization and automation. This review systematically summarizes the existing technologies and explores the future prospects for researchers to automate grapevine production and crop management technology for grapevine cultivation.

Surface irrigation continues to dominate agricultural practices in India; however, its effectiveness is often limited by deep percolation losses and non-uniform water distribution. This study, conducted during 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 at ICAR-CIAE, Bhopal, India aimed to evaluate and optimize furrow irrigation methods for sunflower cultivation using WinSRFR simulation software. Continuous Furrow Irrigation (CFI) and Alternate Furrow Irrigation (AFI) were tested under varying furrow lengths (45, 55, 65 m) and inflow rates (1.0, 1.5, 2.0 lps) across three crop growth stages. Field data on infiltration, advance and recession times, and soil moisture were collected and used to calibrate the model. Simulation results revealed that AFI with a 65 m furrow length, 1.0 lps flow rate, and 80-min cutoff time achieved the highest performance: 87% Application Efficiency (AE), 91% Distribution Uniformity (DU_lq), and only 15% Deep Percolation (DP). In contrast, CFI under optimal conditions (1.1 l ps, 64.4 min) reached 71% AE. Model validation showed high agreement with observed values (R² > 0.93, RMSE < 1.4%, p < 0.001). Sensitivity analysis identified inflow rate and cutoff time as the most influential variables. Cross-season validation confirmed the robustness of optimized parameters under real field conditions. These findings offer practical, scalable recommendations for improving water productivity in Indian furrow irrigation systems using simulation-assisted planning.

Grapes (Vitis vinifera) are a globally important high-value crop produced for fresh consumption, wine, and processed derivatives. Growing pressure from labor shortages, climate variability, and sustainability demands has intensified the need for mechanization and precision agriculture in viticulture. This review synthesizes current practices, technological advancements, and research gaps across major operational domains, including nutrient management, plant protection, canopy operations, harvesting, and post-pruning residue handling. Advances such as sensor-integrated fertigation systems, machine-vision and AI-assisted sprayers, autonomous and semi-autonomous harvesters, and mechanized residue management tools are critically examined in terms of performance, applicability, and suitability for diverse vineyard scales. A comparative assessment of conventional versus emerging technologies highlights potential benefits, including 20–45% reductions in input use, improved operational efficiency, and significant labor savings, particularly in large commercial vineyards. However, widespread adoption remains limited by high capital costs, fragmented landholdings, inadequate technical support, low digital literacy, and weak policy incentives. The review integrates interdisciplinary research, technological trends, and field-level experiences to identify key barriers and priority areas for innovation. Overall, this work provides strategic insights and a forward-looking framework to guide the development, scaling, and adoption of sustainable, efficient, and resilient viticultural systems, especially for growers in resource-constrained regions. Graphical Abstract The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.