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81 results found
  • Robot sprayer proving its worth as a tireless worker
    Precision Agriculture and Machinery, 20 Feb 2025
    Robot sprayer proving its worth as a tireless worker

    Charlie and Elsie Buchanan are using an autonomous SwarmBot to tackle weeds on their large NSW property. They expect it will pay for itself in three years.

  • Wheat research in safe hands
    Precision Agriculture and Machinery, 19 Feb 2025
    Wheat research in safe hands

    The Third International Wheat Congress was held in Perth in September 2024. Held every two years, the congress brings together global researchers, government organisations, trade bodies and commercial breeders. The aim is to share insights to enhance the sustainability and resilience of wheat production systems

  • Automation investment paying off
    Precision Agriculture and Machinery, 14 Feb 2025
    Automation investment paying off

    Charlie and Elsie Buchanan are using an autonomous SwarmBot to tackle weeds on their large NSW property. They have paired it with a 18m Hayes boom spray with new generation WEED-IT to cover peak times. The SwarmBot is expected to pay for itself in three years.

  • ‘Bolt-on’ autonomy the new shift in machinery tech
    Precision Agriculture and Machinery, 04 Feb 2025
    ‘Bolt-on’ autonomy the new shift in machinery tech

    The switch in focus from autonomous machines to autonomous solutions is becoming increasingly evident and was on display at AGRITECHNICA, the world’s leading agricultural machinery trade fair. Dr Jake Humpal, GRDC machine autonomy and intelligent systems manager, and Tom Giles, GRDC senior manager – enabling technologies, attended the 2023 event in Hanover, Germany. The change includes step changes in automated machine vision and equipment guidance, and digital solutions that bridge the gaps in application programming interfaces (APIs) between different hardware providers.

  • PA and wi-fi tractors leave little to chance
    Precision Agriculture and Machinery, 20 Jan 2025
    PA and wi-fi tractors leave little to chance

    After a few people in the Grenfell district started using the firm Precision Ag to source satellite imagery in 2016, Paul hired the company to complete an electromagnetic (EM38) survey to identify differences in soil types and see if these correlated with yield.

  • The future is here – automated drone docks coming to a farm near you
    Weeds, 11 Nov 2024
    The future is here – automated drone docks coming to a farm near you

    A new kind of drone operator licence called BVLOS – Beyond Visual Line of Sight – allows operators to place autonomous drone docking stations within farming locations. They will be supervised remotely, without the need for a pilot to attend the site. This was discussed at a GRDC webinar, which came about after the topic of aerial applications was raised at several recent National Grower Network meetings.

  • Early support essential for ‘light bulb’ moments
    Precision Agriculture and Machinery, 17 Oct 2024
    Early support essential for ‘light bulb’ moments

    GRDC has invested $5 million in a second Australian Grains Innovation program to ensure a pipeline of novel technology and business ideas with the potential to solve some of the grains industry’s trickiest problems.

  • Researcher on a machinery mission to re-engineer soils
    Precision Agriculture and Machinery, 11 Oct 2024
    Researcher on a machinery mission to re-engineer soils

    Dr Gaus Azam’s groundbreaking research on soil re-engineering in Western Australia, supported by GRDC in partnership with DPIRD, has significantly increased crop yields and water use efficiency. A GRDC award has enabled him to travel to Germany to consult with soils experts.

  • Cross-industry approach allows for new agtech ideas
    Precision Agriculture and Machinery, 02 Oct 2024
    Cross-industry approach allows for new agtech ideas

    Summary: Melbourne agtech startup AquaTerra is developing a battery-operated device that uses sensors set 150 millimetres into the ground to gauge soil moisture and temperature at depths of up to two metres. AquaTerra took part in the Farmers2Founders five-month accelerator program, Harvest – with support from GRDC – in 2021-22.

  • Assessing sensors for enhanced canola plant architecture selection
    Precision Agriculture and Machinery, 16 Sep 2024
    Assessing sensors for enhanced canola plant architecture selection

    GRDC is exploring the potential of next-gen phenomic tools with a Dutch company, PhenoKey, and the Germany-based Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits, to improve yield selection in canola. Preliminary studies are showing promise for the application of LiDAR, X-ray and RTK-GPS for high-throughput non-destructive estimation of biomass, harvest index and other traits.

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