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Irrigation by Protocol: When Vineyards Delegate Decisions to Networks

Article Jason Collins
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Jason Collins explores how vineyards are increasingly delegating irrigation decisions to networked sensor systems and protocols, arguing that while data-driven watering can optimize vine health, we risk losing the embodied knowledge required to interpret the subtle signals vines actually communicate. The essay frames this tension through the Eastern European concept of stewardship—vineyards as systems requiring constant, attentive care rather than remote algorithmic management.

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