Smart Farming – the way of the future

Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA), under a Hort Innovation facilitated project, has joined with Applied Horticultural Research, Hitachi, Freshcare, Growcom, AUSVEG, Australian Banana Growers Council, and Australian Macadamia Society in a Smart Farming Partnerships project funded under the National Landcare program and Hort Innovation.

So what exactly is ‘Smart Farming’? Essentially it is a form of Precision Agriculture, where growers use modern information and communications technology to improve their business. Practically, what this looks like is a series of remote data monitoring points where the collected information is fed to a central computer that enables better decision making, improved production efficiencies, optimal labour use and environmental performance.

GIA have established a pilot ‘Smart Farm’ production nursery for the project in the Great Barrier Reef catchment. Funding requirements meant the pilot production nursery had to be located in this environmentally vulnerable region. There is no doubt however that what we learn and develop from the project will have positive impacts for production nurseries throughout Australia. Initially we started by identifying and refining a list of environmental parameters that we can measure, with particular focus on those from EcoHort Environmental Management System.  A series of remote data monitoring points have also been determined where we will measure a range of parameters in irrigation water source, recycled irrigation water, waste water, weather conditions, residual chlorine and pest monitoring.

Currently we are in the process of deploying various sensing equipment and sondes. A sonde is a remote probe that houses several electrodes so that you can monitor a range of environmental parameters in the one unit. For example, we can measure temperature, pH and EC in the water returning to the reservoir after use in the nursery. The sonde sends its perpetually measured data via IoT (Internet of things) cloud based technology and it is displayed on an interactive dashboard in the main office at the pilot production nursery. The grower is able to monitor changes and by setting limits, have an alarm alert if any parameter is outside the optimal range.

Measurement of these parameters remotely and automatically means the grower can keep a constant eye on the performance of the business operation and make adjustments accordingly. This moves from a reactive process, often days, weeks or even months after change was necessary, to a more proactive model. A good example would be the perpetual measurement of pH, EC, Nitrate and Phosphate levels in irrigation source water. Most NIASA and EcoHort certified businesses monitor these parameters manually. It is the task of a chosen team member to monthly (sometimes more often) measure a range of parameters, particularly those that relate to environmental compliance and stewardship. What the Smart Farming Partnerships project aims to do is promote the use of automated remote monitoring, where the digital data generated can be used to amend production processes and systems and improve efficiency through data generated reports and trend assessment.

Perhaps some of the best examples will come in the area of water use efficiency and nutrient management. For example, if the EC and Nitrate levels in the recycled water are spiking, this will show on the interactive dashboard. A grower may then check the leachate readings and find that Nitrate levels there have been increasing over the past week as well. Real time adjustments can be made to the fertigation program to match a ‘nutrient budget’. The result would be application of supplementary nutrition that feeds the plant appropriately, without unnecessary fertiliser waste and unsuitable soft flush growth. There are of course flow on environmental benefits, where Nitrate readings and EC of water leaving the property during outflow or overflow events are both at lower levels and regularly recorded. It just makes good all round business sense to monitor your environmental performance.

The Smart Farming Partnerships project runs for 3.5 years, concluding at the end of 2023. During the project there will be many articles, webinars and other extension offerings to educate the industry on project findings. Whilst the pilot production nursery is set up in the Great Barrier Reef catchment area, the project outcomes are applicable to all of Australia. We all operate in an environment owned by all of us. There is increasing scrutiny on environmental and sustainability performance. Perhaps if we all acted like the Great Barrier Reef was at the end of our property, we might monitor and manage our operations with heightened diligence. The Smart Farming Partnerships project aims to help you do so.

For more information on the Smart Farming Partnership, contact Project Officer Barry Naylor  at barry.naylor@greenlifeindustry.com.au.