Hort Innovation is partnering in autonomous tractor trials for Australia’s nut growers.
The horticulture industry is positioning itself to tackle future opportunities and challenges as the fastest growing sector in Australian agriculture.
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“That’s not by accident,” Hort Innovation chair Julie Bird said.
“It’s because of the talent, resilience and adaptability across the value chain — from growers and agronomists to exporters and researchers,” she said.
“But to feed the future, we need to rethink how we grow today. And we need to do it against a complex backdrop.
“Climate volatility, labour shortages, rising input costs and changing consumer expectations — none of us are immune from these pressures.
“But what gives me hope is that the answers aren’t just on the horizon. In many cases, they’re already in our hands.”
Julie said Hort Innovation doesn’t have all the answers yet, but “we do have the unique position to connect the dots”.
“To act as a platform for collaboration. To bring together the best researchers, growers, partners and investors, to solve real problems for the industry, together.
“Whether it’s improving the sweetness of watermelon through better paddock to shelf management, or empowering growers with fast on-farm biosecurity testing, we’re backing ideas that drive capability, not just activity.”
As part of its $760 million R&D portfolio, Hort Innovation has invested more than $220 million in productivity boosting projects, from automation, AI and on-farm management to data collection and business analysis.
Part of the productivity push involves new technology that has the potential for one grower to operate multiple tractors at once, slashing the labour input costs.
This technology will enable around-the-clock operation with minimal human intervention. With this innovative solution, a single operator can remotely manage and optimise a fleet of tractors from any device — including mobile, desktop or tablet
The research promises revolutionary change in Australia’s almond, macadamia and pistachio industries and beyond.
Partnering with United States ag-tech leader, Bluewhite, the project will bring cutting-edge technology that retrofits existing tractors, converting them into fully autonomous machines, to the Australian horticulture sector.
Leveraging advanced AI technology, this multi-year project will seek to accelerate the adoption of precision autonomy in Australia’s nut industry and automate labour-intensive farming operations. Overall, it will aim to boost productivity and reduce reliance on manual labour across the sector.
With the potential to scale to other industries in the long term, this technology could help to boost productivity across the entire horticulture industry.
Hort Innovation chief executive officer Brett Fifield said this project will offer a scalable, long-term solution to recurring challenges Australian growers are facing, especially labour shortages.
“The technology we will be trialing in this project is already being used successfully by some of the largest nut, citrus and vineyard operations in the United States, delivering higher productivity, improved crop consistency and reduced exposure to human error and fatigue,” Brett said.
The AI-driven platform also enables real-time data collection and analysis, allowing growers to make informed, data-driven decisions about their crops.
In addition to operational gains, the autonomous system enhances worker safety by limiting human exposure to hazardous tasks, chemicals and extreme heat — major risk factors in orchard operations.
Horticulture Innovation Australia (Hort Innovation) is a not-for-profit, grower-owned research and development corporation for Australia’s $17 billion horticulture industry.
It invests around $154 million in research and development and marketing programs annually to provide benefit to the 37 industry levies it supports and the wider community.
Key industry insights revealed at this year’s Hort Connections conference include:
Grocery consumption is ahead of population growth with sales up 5.2 per cent, volume up 6.3 per cent, and population growth up 1.8 per cent (ABS, Sept 2024).
Online fresh produce sales have recovered this year, with just over one in five Aussies buying their produce online.
Price, convenience, time saving and promotions are the key drivers for online purchasing.
Fresh vegetables and fruit dollar sales are outperforming total grocery this year; however, price acceleration has slowed volume growth.
Kiwifruit, cabbage and walnuts top the list as dollar sales drivers this year.
Cost is still a key factor in consumers’ ability to choose sustainable options.
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