By Julie O’Halloran and Claire Quinn, Queensland Department of Primary Industries

A study tour of the US conducted as part of a levy-funded agtech project in late 2024 provided growers with the opportunity to connect with global technology manufacturers, see the latest in field automation and robotic technologies and gather experiences and ideas from a cohort of international farmers.

The tour included visits to a diverse range of US horticulture farms as well as attending the US International Forum for Agricultural Robotics (FIRA USA). The not-for-profit Global Organisation for
Agricultural Robotics (GOFAR) based in France, coordinates both FIRA USA and World FIRA, annual field robotics events and is also a partner in the project.

FIRA USA incorporated activities providing the latest information on agricultural robotics and automation including more than 35 static and live technology demonstrations, startup pitches, business to business meetings and roundtable discussions on addressing automation needs. Tour participant David de Paoli, Austchilli provided representation for the Australian vegetable industry, contributing to an international roundtable discussion on ‘Addressing automation needs for vegetables’.

The study tour was a deliverable of the Hort Innovation vegetable levy funded project VG23003, Advanced vegetable mechanisation program to maximise labour and cost efficiency, led by DPI.

Julie O’Halloran, DPI Principal Development Horticulturist and project leader, said the tour was a major success in starting important conversations about agtech options.

“As GOFAR is a partner in the project, incorporating FIRA USA into the project study tour program provided the opportunity to capitalise on GOFAR’s global networks of technology Manufacturers in automation and mechanisation and Coordinate exclusive opportunities for the Australian group,” she said.

DPI organised an exclusive breakfast event for the Australian delegation to coincide with FIRA USA. This brought together eight international technology manufacturers and the Australian growers with keynote speakers, technology pitches and a Q&A session.

“The highlight for the project team was getting the group of growers in the same room as eight technology manufacturers through the exclusive breakfast event. Growers could hear directly from these companies on their latest technologies, both commercially available but also still in development,” said Julie.

Growers looking at PlantTape machine. Photo courtesy DPI.

“It was important for the manufacturers to gain some understanding of the Australian vegetable industry and the challenges facing growers as well as raise the profile of the Australian market with global manufacturers.”

“Ultimately, the tour’s goal was to increase grower awareness of what automated and mechanised technologies are out there and gain insights into what is coming through in development and the future of agricultural innovation. Grower participant feedback has told us that the tour did this as well as challenging grower thinking around these types of technologies.

“The success of the tour is also undoubtedly due to the great group of growers that participated. Their willingness to engage with other growers on the tour, attitude to sharing knowledge and experiences, improved outcomes for all.”

Kane Busch of Busch Organics grows a range of organic vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, beetroot, carrot, leek and parsnip in the Gippsland region of Victoria, and attended the study tour. His interest was in laser weeding technologies and automated spraying equipment.

“The breakfast event with technology manufacturers was a great initiative by the Australian cohort and enabled growers to ask questions of manufacturers that have technology on the ground already or not too far away,” he said.

“It has really challenged our thinking and to consider what areas of the business you can apply them to. Everyone pretty much left the tour with an idea of what they wanted to do with technologies seen on the tour.

“Sitting on a bus and networking with growers was really pleasing as we are trying to solve the same challenges, and you get to pick up hints and tricks from each other. The willingness of growers to talk and discuss what they might be doing to overcome their challenges has been really beneficial.”

Study tour participants were asked about the top three commercial (TRL 8 and above) and emerging technologies that they saw on the tour. The commercial technologies highlighted with the greatest potential for Australian vegetable systems were laser weeders, high-precisions spray application systems and PlantTape.

Of the emerging technologies that still require further development, autonomous and mechanical harvesters were by far the most highly mentioned by respondents. When asked about future changes on farm post tour, 75 percent of respondents indicated that they were intending to adopt some technology identified through the tour.

The study tour group included vegetable growers from across Australia including Queensland (6), Victoria (11) and South Australia (1). The project will run a second study tour in 2026 which will again be open to Australian vegetable levy growers through an expression of interest process.

David De Paoli, Austchilli Group, took part in an international roundtable discussion titled “Addressing Automation Needs in the Global Vegetable Industry.” Photo courtesy B. Sarion.

Vegetable growers can also get involved in the project through other activities. The project is running two webinars per year and these also provide an opportunity to hear directly from global technology manufacturers as well as from growers who are implementing different technologies.

DPI’s Julie O’Halloran said that the next webinar in the project series is currently being planned for 27 March 2025.

“The focus of the next webinar will be on harvesting technologies,” she said. “It will follow a similar format to the previous webinar in which we hear from technology manufacturers as well as vegetable growers,” she said.

The project is also delivering a program of grower demonstration sites to validate new technologies by quantifying efficiency benefits and sharing grower experiences in integrating different agtech. Farm Concepts, a partner in the project, will provide critical integration services.

The first of these sites have been established in Tasmania and Victoria recently. An expression of interest process is ongoing for growers who may like to get involved.

What is a TRL Level?

TRL refers to the Technology Readiness Level, a globally accepted tool used to classify technology development and maturity from initial research through concepts and prototypes through to commercial deployment.

TRL LEVEL
1 Initial research supporting shift to applied development of technology
2-3 Concept development and proof of concept
4-5 Technology development
6-7 Prototype demonstration and validation
8-9 Those that are fully commercial with commercially sold units in operation.

Submit expression of interest in the Advanced vegetable mechanisation program VG23003 here.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact Julie O’Halloran 0409 054 263 or Janaina Fabris 0461 491 213.

The project commenced in May 2024 and runs through until 2027.