New Hands on Precision Ag workshops underway

The second round of interactive Hands on Precision Agriculture Training workshops is underway across Australia.

The aim of the free workshops is to introduce farmers to precision agriculture (PA) techniques they can use to identify and manage variability, and improve productivity and profitability.

The topics for discussion are specific to each region and were chosen from issues raised by farmers in a 2020 survey.

The survey found a significant number of farmers had access to PA tools but did not use them. This included machinery data (25%), yield maps (24%) and spray maps (20%).

The most common reasons for not using them were: not having the right software (34%), never being shown how to use/create them (34%), and because they take too much time/effort (31%).

The first round of workshops held in early 2021 paved the way for farmers to start using some of the PA tools they already have – including mobile devices, computers and machinery-based platforms – and free or low-cost data for yield mapping, remote sensing, soil and pH mapping and in-season monitoring.

The second round of workshops will build on that experience and help participants gain a better understanding of how to use proven tools and techniques to devise strategies for forecasting and addressing variability in yield and profit.

SPAA is leading the Grains Research and Development Corporation-funded project, with support from Birchip Cropping Group, Pinion Advisory, the Grower Group Alliance, FarmLink and Coutts J&R.

Details of workshop dates and locations are available at https://spaa.com.au/events