Vertical Farming: Growing Plants Without Sun & Soil
How do you mass-produce leafy greens without sunlight, soil and lots of water? The answer: vertical farming. Indoor-farming innovators, AeroFarms, have mastered the best way to grow plants with minimal inputs. They mass-produce leafy greens in buildings throughout America by using fully controlled indoor environments. The results of these vertical farms are: shorter harvest periods […]
Training, the secret to good agribusiness workers
Farm employees are encouraged to broaden their skillsets and learn more about the business of farming. A well-educated workforce can contribute to the smooth running of a farm, as more employees become aware of the reasons behind business decisions made in agriculture. With this knowledge, staff are able to contribute well-grounded ideas. These could result […]
New modelling on bushfires shows how they really burn through an area
Philip Zylstra, University of Wollongong Bushfires in Australia can have a devastating impact on an environment and destroy homes and lives, so any effort to prevent them is a welcome move. But the way that we have traditionally understood bushfires and forest flammability in Australia is not up to the challenges of our changing climate. […]
Drones at the forefront of agriculture technology
Advances in Australian agriculture technology continue with new uses for remote drones. A Pacific Seeds farm in the Kimberley’s Ord Valley has been using a remote-controlled drone to protect its seed crops from the seasonal onslaught of birds. In the area birds such as corellas and black cockatoos swarm farms in the thousands. The drone is modified with […]
Snail mail threatens Aussie exporters
Snails are reportedly doing their best to ruin Australia’s reputation in the export market. Chinese consumers of Australian barley are fed up with the quality of imports, which they say have been overrun by snails. Certain barley exporters are already being banned from trading with China until they sort out their snail situation. South Australian […]
Growth spurt for Australian grapes in the Asian market
Australian table-grape growers have a new best friend: Japan. The export market for Australian-grown grapes has surged over the last 12 months, according to a report released by the Australian Table Grape Association (ATGA). Although China dominated the market by import volume (China/Hong Kong combined imports were approximately 50,000 tonnes), the Japanese market showed the […]
Electronic tagging for sheep industry a necessary measure
The Victorian sheep and goat industry will be forced to incorporate electronic tagging from 2017 onwards. The new system will allow animals to be tracked, and, in the case a disease outbreak, ensure potentially infected animals can be accounted for. Sheep are currently identified through mob-based visually tagging, which many industry members believe is sufficient. […]