Australia
June 25, 2015

Over 100 Australian vegetable growers have been exposed to the most ground-breaking and eye-catching innovations in global horticulture during the 2015 Global Technologies in Horticulture Seminar held today on the Gold Coast.

Innovations on display during the Seminar included bird deterrent technology that utilises laser beams and robots that harvest ripe vegetables in greenhouses.

“Attendees were given the opportunity to learn from the world’s leading innovators in technology, robotics and vegetable production, and were given insights into the future of horticulture and how they can incorporate these technologies to increase the productivity and profitability of their businesses,” said AUSVEG spokesperson Stefan Oberman.

“Speakers at the Seminar included aeroponics pioneer and AeroFarms CEO David Rosenberg from the United States, robotics specialist Dr Jan Bontsema from the Netherlands and greenhouse vegetable specialist Rivka Offenbach from Israel, among others.”

“There is growing momentum within the industry to help growers embrace technological breakthroughs. The technology available to growers is now at a point where machines can mechanically identify harvest-ready vegetables and soil nutrient deficiencies without supervision.”

“Growers were exposed to the most innovative developments in horticultural technology, including use of lasers as bird control, growing vegetables in mid-air and in the middle of the desert, as well as the possibilities of using ‘big data’ in localised weather prediction.”

AUSVEG is the leading horticultural body representing 9,000 Australian vegetable and potato growers.

The 2015 Global Technologies in Horticulture Seminar aimed to educate Australian growers on the latest technology they can employ on-farm, and was built on a highly successful series of annual seminars facilitated by AUSVEG to help with the development of the Australian vegetable industry and ensure it remains at the pinnacle of global vegetable production.

“Australian growers are some of the most creative and innovative vegetable producers in the world, and by giving them a glimpse into what is possible with the latest technology, we hope to spark further adoption of this technology in horticulture,” said Mr Oberman.

“If the Australian vegetable industry can leverage the know-how of these agricultural innovators, our growers can boost their on-farm efficiency and productivity to increase the financial performance of their operations, which will ultimately benefit the economies of their local communities and the entire country.”

The 2015 Global Technologies in Horticulture Seminar was funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the National Vegetable Levy and funds from the Australian Government. 

Website: http://www.ausveg.com.au

Published: June 25, 2015