First-class delegates from home and abroad are expected to attend the Congress. The machine demonstrations, traditional highlights of the trade fair, will also fully reflect the digital future. This also applies to the special show "Drones and robotics" in the new Paul Horn Hall (Hall 10).

How will the digital future affect the areas of wine, fruit juice and special crops? Anyone wanting extensive information on this topic should definitely attend INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA HORTITECHNICA 2018. The combination of a trade fair, machine demonstrations, the international DVW Congress, special shows and pavilions is unique in this form.

Experience technology live

The unique machine demonstrations under the motto "Experience technology live" are rightly regarded as special trade fair highlights. Exciting and, at times, spectacular demonstrations both in the wine and special crops sections are planned in the Alfred Kärcher Hall (Hall 8), which will be made specially available for this purpose. The topics of plant protection and application technology will play a special role in this respect. The machine demonstrations are being organised by the Commission for Technology in Viticulture (ATW), which is being supported by the Board of Trustees for Technology and Construction in Agriculture (KTBL), the German Winegrowers' Association (DWV) and the German Agricultural Society (DLG).

The special show "Drones and robotics", which is being organised by the DWV and the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), will go over land and in the air. Under the scientific direction of Prof. Schwarz, Geisenheim University (HGU), and Manuel Becker, State Teaching and Research Institute for Viticulture and Fruit Growing, Weinsberg (LVWO), this special show will feature, for example, drones for remote investigation and plant protection, as well as robots for phenotyping or for winegrowing work. The special show is also being organised by the ATW.

Focus topics

In order to give up-to-date trend topics a special platform, different pavilions are being planned in 2018 for the first time. The two pavilions "Viticulture 4.0" and "Campus 4.0" will illuminate current digitalisation trends and innovative products and services from young companies. The pavilion "Energy-efficient viticulture" will present practical solutions for energy-efficient through to energy-independent viticulture. "Risk management" is the name of the pavilion which will examine the increased risk of harvest failures and adequate strategies for harvest protection, as well as effective prevention measures. The pavilion "Plant protection" will feature measures and products which are used in anti-resistance management or in mechanical processes.

Young and smaller companies, which do not directly want to assign themselves to a pavilion, will be able to take part in the trade fair in a professional but inexpensive way thanks to the benefit service.

Trade visitors will be able to "taste technology" in the tasting zone of the DWV. In this area teaching and research institutes will present the scientific questions which are currently being examined by German teaching and research institutes in regard to viticulture and enology. In addition to the tasting tables, the tasting zone will also include directly adjacent presentation stands of the participating institutes. It will therefore be possible to discuss production processes directly with experts.

Special crops

The "HORTITECHNICA“ trade fair section, for which the DLG is responsible, will focus on technology and know-how for the cultivation of special crops. As explained by the President of the DLG Exhibition Department, i.e. the organic vegetable grower René Döbelt from Wurzen-Nemt in Saxony, the exhibitors will present an extensive range of products and services relating to modern fruit and vegetable cultivation. "Visitors will be able to obtain information about the entire value-added chain, from cultivation through to marketing," said Döbelt. "The cross-process products and services of the exhibitors, coupled with machine demonstrations, discussions during technical forums and the highlighting of important questions in special topics make the event unique." The "Special Crops" Working Party of the DLG Technical Centre for Agriculture will help with the technical programme of HORTITECHNICA. Under the overall direction of the Working Party Chairwoman Henriette von der Leyen, a farmer growing soft fruit in Neukirchen-Vluyn (North Rhine-Westphalia), and the Deputy Working Party Chairman Harald Kramer, a plant protection expert in the North Rhine-Westphalian Chamber of Agriculture in Münster, current questions in the areas of fertilisation, plant protection, application technologies and irrigation will be answered and presented to the public in an effective way.

DLG members, farmers and companies will meet on the DLG stand for informal exchanges and networking. The offering will be extended by the all-day forum programme. Modern irrigation techniques, but also solutions for plant protection in fruit and vegetable cultivation will be the focal points in this respect. Right next door will be the DLG Special "Comparison of modern packaging technologies". The advantages and special aspects of the individual systems will be presented in two commented demonstrations. Trade visitors will therefore obtain a deep insight into the available technologies and technically correct information based on which investment decisions can ultimately be made.

63rd International DWV Congress

The 63rd International DWV Congress will approach the topic of digitalisation in a technical and scientific manner by means of talks and discussions. Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Schwarz from Geisenheim University, a member of the scientific advisory committee, said: "This gathering of first-class experts from agricultural and viticultural technology is unique and sensational.“ The Congress will focus on the topic of "Impacts of climate change on viticulture and wine tourism in the Danube region" on the opening day, i.e. 4 November. The countries bordering the Danube, all of which grow wine, are important sales markets for technology for viticulture and special crops, and will be specially highlighted during this year's INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA HORTITECHNICA. Klaus Schneider, President of the German Winegrowers' Association (DWV), summed up: "During the International DWV Congress the German Winegrowers' Association will show all sides of the use of digitalisation in the process chain from the vineyard and the cellar through to sales. Scientists and consultants from every German teaching and research institute cooperated in the development of the programme. I would like to express my sincere thanks for this cooperation."

Innovation Prize

The "2018 Innovation Prize, which is presented by the DWV in conjunction with the German Agricultural Society, is also future-oriented. Between 11 May and 30 June 2018 every exhibitor at the trade fair can apply online to take part in this competition at www.dwv-innovationspreis.de . The Innovation Prize honours technical processes, systems, products and services in the following categories: Cultivation and harvesting technology; Processing and process control; Filling and packaging technology; and organisation and marketing which are helping to improve the industries. Visitors will then be able to examine the award-winning innovations directly at the trade fair in November 2018.

Anyone with enough input in the mean time and is looking to exchange opinions and experiences with colleagues, exhibitors and Congress delegates will have an excellent opportunity to do so during a visit to the "Wine meeting" of the DWV. Technical discussions can be conducted and future topics can be talked about over a glass of wine from one of the German winegrowing areas.

Young Professionals Day

During INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA HORTITECHNICA 2018 the "Young Professionals Day" on 5 November 2018 will be an ideal way for career starters to examine their own future: the focal points of this event will be to forge contacts, exchange ideas and experiences, and develop ideas. The programme items will be offered by the DWV in cooperation with the German Young Farmers' Association (BDL) and the Young DLG. Talks on the show stage in the DWV Wine Meeting and in the DLF Forum will provide insights into current technical topics. The Young Professionals Party, which will be held on the same evening at the Stuttgart Trade Fair Centre, will be a convivial way to round off the day. 

About INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA HORTITECHNICA

INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA HORTITECHNICA takes place together with the German Winegrowers' Congress every two years at the Stuttgart Trade Fair Centre. As an international technology trade fair for wine, fruit juice and special crops, it provides exhibition areas for cultivation and harvesting technology, processing and process control, filling and packaging technology, and organisation and marketing. The German Winegrowers' Association (DWV) acts as the professional supporter of the INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA section and organises the International DWV Congress. The German Agricultural Society (DLG) acts as the professional supporter of the HORTITECHNICA section. They jointly organise the Careers Day for Young Professionals.