How do alerts work?
VineyardElf and WineryElf automatically monitor conditions and send notifications when they detect a threat. The system checks data every few hours and sends an alert at most once every 12 hours for the same type of threat.
Types of alerts
1. Frost alerts (VineyardElf)
The system analyzes the weather forecast for the next 48 hours. When the predicted temperature drops below the set threshold, you receive a notification.
Default threshold: 2°C
What the alert contains:
- When frost is expected (tonight/tomorrow night)
- Predicted minimum temperature
- Plant protection recommendations
2. Disease alerts (VineyardElf)
The system calculates the risk of 4 major grapevine diseases based on weather data from the last 7-14 days:
| Disease | Model | Key conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Downy mildew | Mills Rule 10:10:24 | ≥10mm rain + ≥10°C + 24h |
| Powdery mildew | Gübler-Thomas | 20-25°C + humidity >40% + NO rain |
| Black rot | Cornell Spotts | Leaf wetness ≥6h + 15-27°C |
| Botrytis (gray mold) | IFV/UC Davis | Humidity >90% for ≥12h |
Default threshold: 70% risk
What the alert contains:
- Disease name and risk percentage
- Calculation model used
- Recommended fungicides and spraying timing
3. Winery monitoring (WineryElf)
Monitoring of temperature and humidity in the winery via Shelly sensors. Alerts are sent when:
- Temperature exceeds the set range
- Humidity moves outside the normal range
Notification channels
| Channel | Status | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ Ready | Provide an email address | |
| SMS | ✅ Ready | Configure an SMS connector |
| 🟡 Beta | Configure a Twilio connector |
How to configure alerts?
Step 1: Open alert settings
VineyardElf menu → 🔔 Alerts
Step 2: Enter contact details
- Email - main channel (always recommended)
- Phone - for SMS (international format, e.g. +1234567890)
- WhatsApp - optional (same number as SMS)
Step 3: Configure frost alerts
- Turn on the Frost alerts toggle
- Set the temperature threshold (default 2°C)
- Choose channels: Email / SMS / WhatsApp
Step 4: Configure disease alerts
- Turn on the Disease alerts toggle
- Set the risk threshold (default 70%)
- Choose notification channels
Example email alert
Frost alert:
❄️ WARNING - Vineyard
Tomorrow night: min. 1.5°C
Alert threshold: 2.0°C
Recommendation: Consider activating your
frost protection system or covering
sensitive plants.
[Open VineyardElf →]
Disease alert:
🦠 DISEASE ALERT - Vineyard
• Downy mildew: 82% (HIGH)
Model: Mills Rule 10:10:24
• Powdery mildew: 45% (MEDIUM)
Model: Gübler-Thomas
[Open VineyardElf →]
Tips
- A frost threshold of 2°C is safe - it gives you time to react
- A disease threshold of 70% is a good compromise between vigilance and the number of alerts
- If you get too many alerts, raise the thresholds
- If you get too few, lower the thresholds or check your contact details
- An alert is sent once every 12 hours for the same threat
Technical requirements
- Weather forecast: A configured OpenMeteo connector
- SMS: An active SMS connector with credits
- WhatsApp: A configured Twilio connector (beta)
- Winery monitoring: Shelly devices connected to the system