AgTech Finder

Vertical farming, or controlled environment agriculture, allows produce to be grown anywhere from the middle of the world’s mega cities to remote islands – or even up in space.   This technology could solve supply chain problems in a world facing an increasingly erratic climate, but as we hear in this episode, one challenge is deciding what crops to grow to make vertical farming profitable given the upfront capital costs involved.   Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence Plants for Space Matthew Gilliham from the University of Adelaide explains how the program is developing technologies like vertical farming to enable humans to survive and thrive in space – and how this can transform the sustainability of food and bioresource production on Earth.  Co-founder of InvertiGro Paul Millett talks about the company’s vertical farming ‘plug and play’, modular solutions and we hear from Perth vertical farmer Christian Prokscha.  This is the last episode for Season 3 of the AgTech Finder podcast but you can keep up to date with what’s happening in Aussie agtech by visiting www.agtechfinder.com  

The use of microorganisms to improve the health and production of animals is an emerging field within the livestock industry.   In this episode, we look at the impact microbial technology and products are having in the dairy industry.  We’re joined by vet and ruminant nutritionist Dr Paul Cusack who explains how new technological advances will improve the way researchers are able to study microbes, and the impact different feed additives have on them.   We speak to Tom Bayes from Terragen, a company producing a probiotic supplement for dairy cows and calves to increase feed efficiency and milk production.   And we also talk to South Australian dairy farmer Jo Jones, who has been using Terragen’s product MYLO and has seen a reduction in herd sickness and improvement in milk quality, especially around calving.   www.agtechfinder.com  

Artificial intelligence and machine vision is groundbreaking technology allowing for the autonomous detection of anything from weeds to livestock disease.   In this episode we speak to principal agtech scientist for the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Paul Stewart, about how challenges like connectivity are being overcome to allow for AI camera detection to be more widely adopted.  InFarm founder Jerome Leray explains how artificial intelligence technology is being applied in weed detection and cow/calf unit identification in expansive operations in northern Australia.   While, Goondiwindi cropper and beef cattle farmer Luke Arbuckle has been using the InFarm AI system to detect weeds for spot spraying and for terrain mapping.  If this discussion whets your appetite, you can hear more at the Digital Agrifood Summit 2024 in Wagga Wagga 29-30 October, exploring how AI can be harnessed for industry wide benefit. Is it time to "let it rip", or do we need to maintain control? Book your tickets now.  www.agtechfinder.com  

Soil moisture probes were one of the first pieces of agtech used by farmers, but things have changed a bit since the 90s. In this episode we hear about how soil moisture probes are informing growers on soil temperature and fertility, how they can be integrated with other sensors, and how data can be sent wirelessly to your phone.   Liam Southam-Rogers from Applied Horticultural Research gives an overview on some of the common challenges growers face when adopting the technology, including the pitfall of installing too many probes.    Sentek is an agtech company that was started more than 30 years ago in South Australia and has now become a world leader in soil moisture technology, with probes installed in hundreds of different types of crops across more than 80 countries. Sentek’s Medi Zaboli talks about what's happening now and what’s on the horizon.  Supply chain manager for WA based Galati Brothers Frank Merenda has been using Sentek’s Drill and Drop probes in a protected cropping operation, growing mediterranean vegetables just outside of Perth.   www.agtechfinder.com  

You’ve collected all this data on your livestock, now what?   It’s a common conundrum when it comes to agtech adoption, but it’s a question livestock analytics platforms are looking to solve.   In this week’s episode we’re joined by livestock agtech adoption specialist and podcast regular, Penny Schulz, who says collating data is not a new concept, but technology that analyses and visually presents that data as actionable insights, is a new frontier.   This frontier is being led by female-founded Black Box Co and we speak to Black Box co-founder Emma Black about their cloud-based software which analyses data that’s integrated from the paddock, crush and across the supply chain – presenting growers with visual, data-driven insights on their cattle’s production.  We also talk to Jessie Chiconi from one of the country’s most renowned Wagyu beef production operations, Chiconi Grazing. Jessie tells us about how Black Box has helped them collate, interpret and present a huge depth of data on their 3000 plus head of cattle.  www.agtechfinder.com  

Robot farm machinery is no longer a sci-fi fantasy, it’s already on-farm and impacting how farmers manage their operations.  In this episode, podcast regular, Food Agility CRC Chief Scientist, Professor David Lamb explains that  although autonomous technology is now available there’s still work to be done to ensure our farms and our farmers are ‘robot ready’.  We hear from Jack Rudd from Swarm Farm robotics about its autonomous machinery, mainly being used for spot spraying. He says the technology allows for more effective weed control, reducing chemical and labour costs.   Northern NSW broad acre cropper Scott Wilson has been using a Swarm Farm robot for spot spraying and says ‘Scrub’ as the robot’s affectionately known, has benefits for both farm operation and lifestyle.  www.agtechfinder.com  

In this episode we’re talking about traceability and transparency within supply chains – what’s possible with the agtech available and the challenges of seeing that technology adopted by industry.   Hear from expert Steve Capell, who consults for the Australian Government and volunteers for the UN, running a project called the United Nations Transparency Protocol. He explains how the adoption of traceability technology will improve with the creation of global standards and the introduction of regulations for market access.  Greg Calvert from Fresh Chain, a blockchain enabled, paddock-to-plate assurance system, tells podcast the technology can play a role in everything from food safety to brand awareness.   Johnathon Davey, Executive Officer of industry body Melons Australia talks about how the use of FreshChain technology in a pilot program was “revolutionary” – and what would need to change within the sector to allow the agtech to be adopted on a wider scale.   www.agtechfinder.com  

In this episode we’re talking about LoRa, a connectivity option for agtech monitoring devices that can be used in rural areas, across long distances.   Connectivity is often a stumbling block for farmers looking to adopt agtech, particularly for the many growers who don’t have reliable phone signal across their property.   But LoRa is helping to fill the gap – it's a long-range, low power option that can be used to connect monitoring devices and sensors that don’t need to transfer a lot of data to operate.   We’re joined once again by Food Agility CRC’s chief scientist David Lamb to explain how LoRa works and what role it plays in agtech.  We speak to PLF Australia’s (Precision Livestock Farming) Paul Stapleton, who explains why LoRa has become the go-to option for most of the solutions they offer. He’s trying to spread the word to farmers who might assume having no signal means they’re not able to use agtech devices.   And we hear from Mick McKellar, an organic beef cattle farmer from south west Queensland who previously struggled with connectivity, but using LoRa and through PLF has been able to install tank and flow monitoring devices.   www.agtechfinder.com  

In this episode we’re talking about soil carbon – we discuss both the opportunities and challenges the measurement and improvement of soil carbon can present for farmers.   We’re joined by Cam Nicholson, a soil carbon consultant and agronomist. He explains new technology that is being developed to measure carbon and the pitfalls farmers can fall into when carbon accounting.   We speak to Precision Ag’s principal scientist Dr Kirsten Barlow, who explains why they’ve introduced an independent soil carbon baselining service – plus she’ll talk us through how technology is currently being used to inform and administer variable rates.   We also talk to Richard Malone from Customised Farm Management Australia. Richard is based in Griffith in southern NSW and he tells us about what he sees as the potential benefits of measuring and improving soil carbon from a corporate farming perspective.  www.agtechfinder.com  

In this episode we’re talking about the use of agtech and data-driven decision-making within the seafood industry.   We’re joined by Julie Petty, from Seafood Industry Australia, who talks us through everything from the automation of fish feeding to decarbonisation.  We also speak to professor Shauna Murray, from the University of Technology Sydney, who’s been heading up the Transforming Australian Shellfish Production project. The project, run in conjunction with Food Agility CRC, has allowed for real-time and estuary specific data to drive decision-making on harvest management.    And we hear from NSW South Coast oyster farmer Shane Buckley. He took part in the project and says the use of data to inform harvest windows could have a significant economic impact on their business.    www.agtechfinder.com  

In this episode we’re talking about virtual fencing and monitoring technology that could be transformative for the dairy industry.  We’re joined by Dairy Australia’s Emily Samyue to give us an overview of the role agtech plays within the industry.   We then travel across the ditch to speak to Steve Crowhurst from New Zealand-based company Halter. Halter’s smart cow collars predominantly use sound cues to guide cattle on where to go, allowing cows to be remotely brought in for milking and cell grazed in smaller mobs to improve pasture growth and production.  We also talk to Tasmanian dairy farmer Troy Ainslie who has been using the Halter technology to virtually herd and fence cattle and monitor pasture and animal health. He says he now doesn’t think he’d be dairy farming without it.   www.agtechfinder.com  

Today we’re speaking about technology helping producers monitor their livestock’s health and emissions - picture being able to breathalyse a cow to see if she's pregnant or finding out about methane emissions when the steers eat at the trough. We speak to Food Agility CRC chief scientist David Lamb about how more extensive, large-scale farming, combined with a reduced workforce, has led to agtech often needing to fill the gap when it comes to livestock monitoring.  AgScent founder Bronwyn Darlington tells us about working with NASA and explains how their non-invasive diagnostic technology could be a gamechanger for the livestock industry.  We also talk to Simone Barakat from Number 8 Bio, a company developing feed additives to reduce methane emissions. They’ve been using AgScent Air to measure methane reduction during their trials.   www.agtechfinder.com 

In this episode we’re speaking about tools that help farmers assess and plan for changes in climate.   A lot of the agtech we speak about is used by farmers to help with everyday decision making. But the tools we’re hearing about in this episode are mostly focused on long-term management, how to prepare for a future that might be decades or even generations away.   We speak to Dr Tim Cowan a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Applied Climate Sciences at the University of Southern Queensland about agtech’s role in preparing farmers to respond to more extreme climate scenarios.   We’re also joined by the Bureau of Meteorology’s Stephanie Dickson. She tells us about My Climate View, a digital tool which provides location and commodity specific climate predictions for the next 50 years.   And we chat to Western Australian beef producer Dale Park, who says information from My Climate View has influenced his on-farm decision-making, including what pastures they plan to grow.   www.agtechfinder.com    

In this week’s episode we’re talking about innovations and technology within the shearing industry.   The wool and shearing industry is probably not the first people think of when it comes to agtech, being one of the more traditional within agriculture.   But the shearer shortage and rise of large sheep within the industry has encouraged the sector to develop new technology that will offer wool growers more options and help attract and retain shearers.  In this episode we speak to Carolina Diaz from the Australian Wool Innovation about some of the new technology coming through the pipeline, in particular biological wool harvesting.   We also talk to brothers Glenn and Chris Haynes about shearing modules that eliminate the need for shearers to catch and drag the sheep, the part of the process that often leads to the most injuries.  Glenn is from the Shearer’s Contractors Association Australia (SCAA) Shearer Woolhandler Training Inc. and designed the modules in collaboration with AWI, woolgrowers and champion shearers.   While, Chris is from Haynes Engineering, one of several companies building the shearing modules and seeing them implemented by growers across the country.   And we catch up with wool grower Will Shippen, who started using the shearing modules out of necessity during a flood, but found they improved efficiency and so has continued to use them ever since.  www.agtechfinder.com  

In this episode we’re talking about technology helping growers improve water efficiency on-farm.   We’re joined by podcast regular, Food Agility CRC chief scientist, David Lamb, who tells us about the role agtech will play in reporting growers’ water efficiency credentials to consumers.   We speak to Goanna Ag’s John Pattinson about their smart irrigation management solution, GoField. GoField is used across 250,000 hectares of cotton and aims to deliver water, energy and workforce efficiencies.      We also chat to Queensland cotton grower Nigel Corish, who has been using the GoField solution to improve irrigation workflows, increase yield and reduce the amount of water needed to produce each bale of cotton.   www.agtechfinder.com 

In this episode we’re speaking about pasture management and the technology helping producers maximise profit and protect their environment.   We welcome back South Australian sheep and cattle farmer and agtech adoption specialist Penny Schulz, who tells us about how technology in this area has undergone a major step change in recent years.   We speak to Cibo Labs co-founder Phil Tickle about their pasture management tools which use a combination of satellite remote sensing imagery, machine learning and ground-truthing to offer objective pasture estimates, informing decision-making on stocking rates.   We’re also joined by Philip Hughes, who along with his family, runs a backgrounding and finishing cattle operation on the Western Downs in Queensland. The Hughes have been using Cibo Labs’ tools to help protect their ground cover, making sure their country remains “rain ready”.    Philip’s son Lachlan tragically died in 2018 in an on-farm accident. To honour Lachlan’s commitment to regenerative farming practices the family set up the Lachlan Hughes Foundation (www.lachlanhughesfoundation.org.au) to support regenerative agricultural, through scholarships, projects & mentoring programs.   www.agtechfinder.com  

In this episode we’re talking about communication. It’s a topic at the heart of agtech adoption and there are also now agtech tools and platforms available to help the industry disseminate knowledge and build communities.   We speak to Food Agility CRC chief scientist David Lamb about the correlations between the use of social media and agtech adoption.   We’re joined by Emma Ayliffe, an agronomist and farmer, who co-founded Yacker, a social media app for farmers and the ag industry to share ideas and connect with each other.   And we chat to Queensland cattle farmer and podcaster Sam Fryer, who has been using Yacker to gain insights from farmers and others in the ag industry, particularly those operating a long way away from his north Queensland home. 

In this episode we’re talking about agtech integration, whether that’s bringing together technologies and services from different providers to leverage more value – or fully-integrated systems that not only provide information but take action.  We speak to Matt Anderson from Farmers2Founders about how agtech partnerships are able to offer more comprehensive and streamlined decision-making data to farmers.  We’re joined by OPS Australia’s Andrew Barton who tells about their integrated solutions that are combining monitoring technology with automation systems, improving productivity on farm. OPS Australia is based in Longreach Queensland and built to work in outback conditions.   We also chat to Elgyn Knight from a cattle station at Rolleston in central Queensland. He’s adopted an integrated OPS system for their water tank management, and he says it saves him time, water and power.   www.agtechfinder.com 

In this episode, we’re talking about drought resilience, particularly feeding through droughts.   Feeding stock can be one of the most time consuming, expensive and mentally challenging aspects of a drought.   We speak to independent sheep consultant Anthony Shepherd from Sheepmatters about how technology is helping producers decide which stock to sell and which to feed through a drought.   We also talk to Justin Dunn from The Shepherd Ag who has developed a whole automated feedlot solution, allowing farmers to improve precision when feeding and significantly cutting back on the workload required to feed stock during a drought.   And we’re joined by Central West NSW farmer Murray Balcomb who has been using the Shepherd Ag technology for the last couple of years and says with it he now feels ready to take on the next drought.   www.agtechfinder.com  

In this episode we’re talking about building trust when it comes to sharing farm data.   Data is now one of the world’s most valuable commodities and needs to be protected, but we know that sharing data can improve profit and production on-farm. So how can farmers confidently share data with third parties like agtech providers?   This is a question the National Farmers' Federation sought to address when it developed the Australian Farm Data Code, a voluntary code of conduct and certification program that aims to improve adoption of agtech by ensuring farmers have comfort in how their data is used.     We speak to NFF Data Policy Manager Gabriela Ceregra about why the code was introduced and how agtech companies have responded.   We also talk to Pairetree Intelligence co-founder Hamish Munro, who explains how his product was the first to be certified by the Farm Data Code. Pairtree aims to stop farmers drowning in data, offering technology that translates data into a consistent format, puts it in context and sends it where it needs to go.   And we’re joined by Commonwealth Bank General Manager Agribusiness Natasha Greenwood. She talks about how Commbank has been collaborating with Pairtree to come up with ideas for streamlining the sharing of data between the bank and their farming customers.  www.agtechfinder.com