Milestone for DATA Farm
A$2.54-million
Wimmera project designed to take the latest in cutting-edge data analysis to broadacre farming has reached another major milestone.
Longerenong College has started sowing the cereal, pulse and oilseed crops that will go under the microscope as part of an AGTIDE Demonstration of Agricultural Technology Applications, DATA, Farm project.
The crops going into the 1000-hectare DATA Farm are already under the microscope, with project leaders using new airseeder, self-propelled boomspray, variable-rate fertiliser spreader and remote-sensing equipment in a controlled-traffic planting program.
The project’s next phase will involve establishing data-gathering sensors and other infrastructure across paddocks, that will feed information back to a new innovation centre at the college.
The college is in partnership with technology specialist LX Group in creating the data-gathering system.
The information will allow Longerenong students and farmers to see first-hand how to use the technology to make critical seasonal decisions.
One example is a top-soil mapper, which measures soil fertility across paddocks and shares this information.
This allows a farmers to be able to decide where best to allocate extra nutrition to paddock zones and cut fertiliser costs.
College general manager John Goldsmith said the crops would be subject to broad analysis.
“There are going to be sensors across the paddocks, soil-moisture probes, weather stations – all sorts of equipment,” he said.
An innovation centre, under development at the college library and due for completion by the start of August, will provide a base for students and college visitors to clearly see how agtech is driving improved farm performance.
Mr Goldsmith said crops going into the ground represented a great milestone in the development of the DATA Farm.
“There’s been a lot of planning, a lot of partners and it’s great to see it all coming together,” he said.
“Ultimately, this is going to be fantastic for students studying broadcare agriculture and for farmers in developing a greater understanding of technology adaptation in growing food.
“The DATA Farm is a fantastic development for not only Longerenong College, but the entire Australian grains industry.
“The project is really gathering momentum and it’s exciting watching the transformation of the college farm and the overall college.”
The State Government has provided all money for the project.
Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes said digital agriculture had been identified as an area of significant growth and value.
“We’re making sure Victoria is at the forefront of the latest in agtech,” she said.
“By investing in the next generation of agriculture, we’re backing our agriculture industry’s future and helping make farming more safe, productive and profitable.”