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Recent consultancy reports still put the adoption of precision agriculture (PA) in Australia at under 20%, despite overwhelming economic evidence of the benefits. The grains industry continues to lead in the adoption of PA, with help from its old friend viticulture, but there is growing interest and activity in the vegetable and livestock sectors. As well as showcasing some of the latest ideas in the cropping industry, this year's Symposium reflects the growth of interest in PA in some of these other sectors. But there is more. Land management includes both public and private lands, and PA has a major role to play in issues of soil health and land-use from the perspective of biomass and carbon. It is not surprising that our state land management agencies are taking more interest in what PA has to offer. A recent successful bid to extend the CRC for Spatial Information (CRCSI) for another 8 years ($32.2M, 2010-2018) was built, in part, on the Commonwealth and CRC partners recognising the value of PA in this context. This CRC will provide a much-needed boost to addressing major national issues like the need for networked CORS (continuously operating reference stations) and sustainable farmscapes. PA will feature strongly in Biomass Business, a large demonstrator program within the CRC. Biomass Business aims to develop spatial-based tools to drive on-farm improvements in water, fertiliser and pasture utilisation; improvements necessary to maintain and improve the profitability and sustainability of agricultural businesses, while maximising the synergies between production and environmental accountability. Providers of PA tools and services will also benefit from this long-term investment in R&D. |
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