Tree Crop Dec '24/Jan '25

Business solutions & labour

Labour-saving tech receives $52 million boost

Amid workforce challenges, the horticulture sector is poised to adopt the latest in automation technology for pollinating, spraying, harvesting and packing to boost productivity, with estimated labour savings on the table of up to 90 per cent.

Products and services

High K: Fertilising made simple

Kendon’s High K is a broad-spectrum liquid fertiliser designed to enhance crop yields, improve quality, and promote plant health.

Products and services

Prospr on show in Washington State

New Zealand-based agritech company Robotics Plus attended the NW Hort Expo in Washington State to showcase Prospr - an autonomous, multi-use, hybrid vehicle for agriculture.

Products and services

Protecting tree crops through scorching summers

Hot, dry Australian summers create extreme moisture deprivation and heat stress, so farm managers must adapt and modify their agricultural methods and integrate innovative technologies to keep tree crops thriving in tough conditions.

Post harvest

Solutions for transport challenges

When it comes to increasing sustainability for the entire fresh produce supply chain while also maximizing profit potential, some of the most crucial factors are freshness, quality, shelf life and minimising food waste.

Business solutions & labour

PNG workers making their mark in Australia

Sylvester Lepi was a subsistence farmer in Papua New Guinea when he joined the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme in 2019.

Business solutions & labour

Grant Scheme helps farmers access modern tech

Ahead of another expected hot summer, Australian agtech company Farmbot is urging farmers to take advantage of a Federal Government-backed rebate program by investing in water monitoring technology which will save them time, fuel, natural resources and money

Business solutions & labour

FreshCloud sensor integrations for real-time value chain quality control

AgroFresh Solutions, has announced two groundbreaking collaborations with Rubens Technologies and Escavox which it says will enhance AgroFresh’s FreshCloud digital platform, a comprehensive data-backed solution letting the produce supply chain to make real-time decisions.

Tree crop insights

It’s party time for pistachio’s progress

Australia’s emerging pistachio industry has taken a quantum leap at Bannerton, 8km south of Robinvale, this week with the official unveiling of the Australian Pioneer Pistachio Company’s state-of-art pistachio hulling facility.

Tree crop insights

The inside line on desert limes

A growing number of people know Australia has its own highly productive native citrus in citrus glauca– or the desert lime. Desert lime trees evolved in, and occur naturally across, the challenging outback and thrive when taken to other environments, withstanding both heat and frost.

Tree crop insights

Narrow orchard systems under the microscope

Newly established Narrow Orchard Systems will enable researchers to answer important questions on productivity and profitability in temperate fruit crops, under current and future climates and across key Australian production regions.

Bees and pollination

Varroa army deployed

Beekeepers can take advantage of nation-wide training to assist them with managing varroa mite.

Know your pest

Beetles to beat

Beetles which eat your avocado, macadamia and mango flowers are eating your cash.

Olives - Featured Crop

Evolution of Rich Glen

What began as an idea by Ros and Daimien Vodusek to sell oil and salad dressing products from a spare bedroom in the family home, has evolved into something they never really saw coming - retail outlets selling over 190 products made direct from the families olive grove.

Almonds - Featured Crop

Strategic study tours planned for almond industry

The Almond Board of Australia is heading back overseas – once this year and again in 2026 – with strategic study tours involving representatives from across the almond industry.

Almonds - Featured Crop

Merbein almond grower says signs are strong

Merbein almond grower Neale Bennett has been rubbing shoulders with the industry’s heavyweights in the US and has come home filled with enthusiasm for the coming season.

Almonds - Featured Crop

Is an app the way to go for almonds?

The Australian almond industry is big business – and now it’s going to be helped into the future by something as small and simple as an app.

Almonds - Featured Crop

Exciting times ahead for almond industry

A delegation from the Almond Board of Australia attended the annual California Almond Conference in Sacramento, California, recently.

Branching out

New directors at Hort innovation

One new and one returning director have joined the board of Hort Innovation amid a year of record investment for the grower-owned research and development corporation (RDC) for Australian horticulture.

News

Summerfresh announces summer apricot series

New Zealand’s spectacular summer – renowned for its long days and pristine air – is the inspiration behind the commercial brand names for a series of exclusive apricots distributed to local and international markets by grower co-operative, NZ Summerfresh Ltd.

News

eDNA could bear fruit for farmers and the environment

A Curtin University study has revealed a new method of capturing DNA could provide farmers with a valuable tool for boosting crop production – while also benefiting the environment.

News

Research boost for hazelnut industry

Charles Sturt University researchers are leading a major five-year $2 million program funded by AgriFutures Australia to optimise hazelnut production in Australia.

News

Creating fertiliser and fuel from thin air

Australian farmers could soon see their fertiliser costs drop 10 per cent through groundbreaking technology developed by homegrown startup PlasmaLeap.

News

Collaboration key to ultimate genotypes in plants and livestock

University of Queensland researchers are setting the agenda for breeding high yield, heat tolerant and disease-resistant crops and low emission cattle with excellent feed conversion efficiency as they search for the ultimate genotype.