Precision Agriculture

Right place, right time
Precision agriculture technologies

The challenge
Water, fertilisers and farm chemicals are major farming costs in the dairy, cropping and horticultural industries. Water is a scarce resource, and an increasingly expensive one. Nutrient run-off from farming systems is one of the most serious environmental problems in Victoria, causing algal blooms in major waterways.

The strategy
To develop precision farming technologies for the dairy, cropping and horticulture industries to ensure seed, fertiliser, water and chemicals are applied exaclty where and when required.

The projects

• Develop tools to enable dairy farmers to select the most cost and water effective feed systems.
• Develop tools to guide grain growers in more efficient use of nitrogen fertilisers.
• Develop guidelines for precision irrigation of vineyards and orchards.