Technology All hands on tech

All hands on tech

INNOVATION IN AGRICULTURE

Whether you subscribe to the latest podcasts, invest in all the gadgets available, or follow precision farming tech trends, or you like to keep things simple, chances are anything that helps reduce the pressure on growers to have a hand on every vine is welcome.

This edition, we feature a podcast, website and app that look at some of the ways technology is advancing agriculture and solving challenges facing the sector.

APP

Fieldmargin is an easy-to-use farm management tool that is flexible enough to record everything that happens on your farm. The app is designed for cropping, livestock and horticulture, allowing growers to keep track of fruit production on the go or from the office. Easily share planting areas, jobs and issues with your team, and track work progress and yield. Tell me more … Fieldmargin allows growers to record vineyards and divide properties into smaller areas for different varieties. Field work – including spraying, fertilising and harvest – can be listed and allocated to team members. Notes for tasks, such as spray rates, can also be recorded. How does it benefit growers? Growers can plan their work, add tasks, keep records and share work with their team. Harvest yields (in weight or as a count) can be recorded on the go, and can be compared across property areas. Reports for crop areas, inputs, yield and costs can also be recorded in the app. Cost and availability: Google Play, AppStore and as a web app. Cost: Free and premium subscription options.

PODCAST

The Modern Acre Podcast encourages listeners to learn from the entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders that are changing the food and agriculture industry on and off the farm. The Modern Acre is a community of farmers, professionals, and entrepreneurs passionate about building their agriculture businesses through modern-day innovation and technology. Tell me more … The Modern Acre Podcast has more than 200 episodes, spanning a diverse range of topics, including regenerative agriculture, bitcoin, farm robots, renewable energy, food supply chains, aerial imaging, product branding, automation, solving food waste problems with technology, agtech startups, agriculture e-commerce and women in agriculture. How does it benefit growers? While The Modern Acre Podcast is produced in California in the United States, listeners can gain an insight into many areas of agriculture, specifically technology in agriculture. Cost and availability: Free to listen on Apple, Google, Spotify and Stitcher.

WEBSITE

CSIRO has launched three national missions, together with partners across government, research and industry, to help Australia realise a vision for the future of Australia’s agriculture sector. The missions look into the future to address the threats we see coming at Australia – like a changing climate, the resilience of our economy, and changing consumer trends – and use science to turn threat into opportunity. Tell me more … The three missions include Drought Resilience, Trusted Agrifood Exports, and Future Protein. The Trusted Agrifood Exports Mission aims to boost the value of Australia’s agricultural exports by $10 billion, using science-based tools to help meat, grains and horticultural products reach new markets while protecting their competitive advantage. How does it benefit growers? Growers can access and read all about CSIRO’s mission online, where they can gain an insight into the future of agriculture in Australia and be prepared for forecast changes in the sector. Cost and availability: Free to access online at www.csiro. au/en/about/challenges-missions/