YOUR PRODUCTION
Adoption of precision systems technology AgTech is predicted to be a $100 billion industry in Australia by 2030.
3 THE project sought to engage producers and commercial providers in order to develop underlying spatial management approaches and evidence of crop variability.
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gTech (agricultural technology) is a rapidly developing sector. Predicted to be a $100 billion industry in Australia by 2030, this sector is a vital element in meeting demands for future food and agricultural production. AgTech covers a group of digital technologies that provide data, information and tools to agricultural producers. It assists with more informed and timely management decisions and ultimately improves productivity and sustainability.
Precision agriculture (PA) technologies in vegetables PA uses AgTech to collect detailed field and crop data, mainly using sensing technologies combined with geo-referencing. Adopting precision agriculture technologies could improve your vegetable production and profitability for a variety of crops.
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WA Grower SPRING 2020
Worldwide, agricultural management and production is likely to be increasingly associated with AgTech areas such as Internet of Things (IoT), SMART technologies, drones, robotics and automation.
With precision spatial technologies underpinning these AgTech areas, the Australian vegetable industry will need to increase adoption to remain competitive and viable. Recently, Hort Innovation released the findings of its project, ‘Adoption of precision systems technology for vegetable production’, which generated significant evidence for precision agriculture (PA) implementation in vegetable systems. Given the relatively low adoption and knowledge base of precision agriculture in vegetable production systems, the project sought to engage producers and commercial providers in order to develop underlying spatial management approaches and evidence of crop variability.
This involved establishment of key grower-led case study sites across Australia for increased adoption of a broad range of PA technology and approaches. The project significantly increased knowledge and awareness of how PA approaches can be applied to vegetable system using a broad suite of communication products including 12 case studies, eight factsheets, four ‘YouTube’ style videos, two webinars and 15 industry magazine articles. It also connected over 900 vegetable industry representatives with the latest application of PA approaches in vegetable systems through 23 face-toface extension activities. The project achieved the development of accurate and reliable yield prediction capabilities from remotely sensed satellite imagery in carrots and sweet corn across the country. Overall accuracy of the forecasted yield was 82 per cent (Tasmania) and 91 per cent (Western Australia) and ranged from 74 to 99 per cent accuracy.
