Australian Berry Journal - SPRING 2023 - Edition 16

National map of Protected Cropping Systems now live

Craig Shephard, Senior Researcher, Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre (AARSC)

Australia’s first protected cropping map was launched in July 2023 as an interactive dashboard that allows users to explore the location and area of around 14,000 hectares of glasshouses, commercial nets, polytunnels and shadehouses. Through the map, the horticulture sector will now be better equipped to forecast yields, manage logistics, and respond to natural disasters and biosecurity threats.

Delivered through Hort Innovation and led by the University of New England’s (UNE) Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre (AARSC) in collaboration with Protected Cropping Australia and NSW Local Land Services, and supported by Future Food Systems CRC, the resource provides a current measure of Australia’s horticultural production within protected cropping systems. This includes all commercial greenhouses and nets, which are used to grow crops such as tomatoes, berries, and leafy greens.

The mapping project found NSW to have the highest proportion of permanent nets (3,005 ha), while South Australia boasts more than half of the country’s polyhouses (1,103 ha). In total, it identified 13,932 hectares of protected cropping structures (PCS) nationwide— a number that exceeds previous industry estimates by 30 percent.

Professor Andrew Robson, Director of AARSC, says the new resource will fill a significant knowledge gap faced by the industry.

“The map is a fundamental dataset supporting decision-making at multiple scales,” he says.

“At a national and regional level, the map is informing strategic decision-making for industry, including new developments and market analysis for labour and transport logistics.

At the local level, the map supports growers as a collective, as knowing where crops are located is vital for an improved response to biosecurity incursions and the coordination of onground surveillance. It’s also necessary for quantifying area of structures affected following a natural disaster.

Led by AARSC’s Craig Shephard, the research team primarily applied remote sensing analytics, including satellite imagery to map the location and extent of the country’s protected cropping facilities, along with extensive industry engagement and field validation.

“Having this data on hand is invaluable in situations such as the recent Varroa mite biosecurity outbreak in NSW,” says Mr Shephard.

“We were able to leverage the PCS map to create the Varroa Mite Rapid Response Map, which is an interactive application that reports the total area of impacted structures within the eradication and surveillance zones.

“Through knowing this data, the industry has been able to accurately quantify impacts and prioritise responses to affected growers, minimising impact on the supply chain.” To ensure the data remains accurate, the map will be updated periodically, and industry will be engaged using location-based tools built by AARSC. These include the PCS Survey (best for mobile), or the Industry Engagement Web App (best for desktop).

Access the PCS Dashboard at bit.ly/PCS-Dashboard

For more information contact: Craig Shephard | cshepha2@une.edu.au or Andy Clark | andrew.clark@une.edu.au

Acknowledgement: This project is being funded by Hort Innovation through the Hort Frontiers Advanced Production Systems Fund with co-investment from Future Food Systems CRC, Protected Cropping Australia LTD and Greater Sydney and North Coast Local Land Services and matched funding from the Commonwealth Government. AARSC is fortunate for the support of the project partners in this initiative.