This project is delivering a national, hands-on program to help vegetable growers improve spray application and reduce unnecessary input costs. Spray practices vary widely across the industry, leading to wasted chemicals, uneven coverage and reduced crop protection. The project addresses this by providing practical, on-farm support tailored to individual growers.

The work includes one-on-one spray rig and drone audits, regional workshops and a national webinar. Growers receive advice on calibration, nozzle selection, pressure accuracy and coverage testing. A spray optimisation toolkit and DIY spray coverage kits will also be developed and distributed, giving growers tools to apply improvements on their own farms.

The project is solving a key industry issue — inconsistent spray performance caused by gaps in knowledge, equipment setup and maintenance. These gaps directly impact farm costs and crop outcomes.

As a result, growers will build skills and confidence in spray management. This is expected to reduce chemical use, lower input costs and improve crop protection outcomes. Independent economic analysis will measure the impact on farm profitability and demonstrate the value of improved spray practices.

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the research and development levies listed below and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

• Vegetable Fund