Agtech and biosecurity were on the agenda for attendees of last week’s Future Farming Field Day in Werribee, VIC.

Coordinated by VegNET Victoria (Northern, Western and South Eastern) and hosted by Fresh Select at its Werribee farm, the Field Day saw participants learn about a number of farming technologies that could benefit their growing operations, as well as being kept up to date with the latest information on the Vegetable Leafminer.

Prior to the presentations beginning, participants were given the chance to get up close and personal with the Robot for Intelligent Perception and Precision Application (RIPPA), before heading into Fresh Select’s new training room to begin the workshop.

Spatial Vision’s Ian Miller spoke to growers about the benefits of NDVI spatial mapping, including its potential for crop forecasting and the future direction of agtech, before AUSVEG’s Madeleine Quirk joined cesar’s Elia Pirtle for a discussion on the potential effects that the vegetable leafminer may have on the vegetable industry.

Finally, attendees heard from the University of Sydney’s Australian Centre for Field Robotics’ Justin Clarke, who explained how RIPPA can assist growers in decision support and crop interaction, before taking participants outdoors so they were able to see the robot in action in an on-farm setting.

Attendees were also encouraged to be prepared for a potential incursion of the vegetable leafminer by participating in a mock surveillance exercise coordinated by cesar to allow them to gain an understanding of how to look for signs of leafminer damage within their crops.

For more information about the vegetable leafminer and the project currently being undertaken to prepare Australia for the spread of leafminer to production zones, take a look at the project flyer.

The levy-funded VegNET project coordinates workshops around the country that are free for levy-paying growers to attend, so remember to keep an eye out for news about workshops in your region!

This post appeared in the AUSVEG Weekly Update published 1 May 2018. Subscribe to the Update using our online form to receive the latest industry news in your inbox every week!