On April 11, 45 potato growers and industry stakeholders convened near Pemberton for a field event organized by PotatoLink and the Potato Growers Association of WA. The event featured demonstrations of drones and related technology utilized in Western Australian horticulture.
Technicians showcased two drone models, with MPC Drone Ag Director Rhys Muir discussing their capacities, battery life, and maintenance. Grower Danny Omodei, whose family has farmed in Pemberton for a century, shared insights on integrating drones into farming practices, noting that initial discussions began informally. Omodei stated, "I can't speak highly enough of drones and what they can do. We have made mistakes and needed to work with our agronomists to develop the right mixes to use to get the best results. However, we have also seen great outcomes in terms of improved efficiencies, targeted applications, and time savings."
The event also included a presentation by Senior Development Horticulturist Julie O'Halloran from Queensland Department of Primary Industries' VegMech program, alongside Queensland grower Bryce Lamb. Lamb recently returned from a US study trip focused on vegetable mechanization for labor and cost efficiency.
Local cabbage and cauliflower grower Jake Ryan discussed the Open Weed Locator (OWL) open-source software for spot spraying, developed by researcher Guy Coleman. Ryan is developing his own weeding robot and encourages growers to explore the open-source instructions and contribute to a larger online weed library.
Potato Growers Association of Western Australia CEO Simon Moltoni commented on the event's turnout, saying, "It's not easy to entice growers away from their farms, so to have such a strong turnout indicates that there is an appetite for advancement and efficiency improvements in production. Labour continues to be a challenge, as well as increasing costs of production, so if we can use new technology to reduce our overall costs and increase our efficiencies, then growers are prepared to give it a try."
Source: PotatoPro