AgTech Demonstration Farms come online in South Australia.
One of the biggest challenges in AgTech commercialization is gaining trust in your technology from Farmers.
A critical piece of AgTech Eco-system infrastructure is now coming online to reduce this barrier in the form of AgTech Demonstration Farms.
These facilities are being made available around Australia, evolving working Government and University research farms into AgTech Demonstration Farms, which aim to connect Farmers, Researchers and AgTech developers.
AgTech companies can deploy their technology onto these farms providing a robust trial environment to test, develop and prove the capability of their technology.
This process has several benefits:
Provides a market place for Farmers to view and select AgTech.
Speeds up product development feedback loops.
Increases the amount of product performance data AgTech companies can collect.
Promotes data sharing and AgTech interoperability.
Identifies on farm decisions which can be supported or enhanced by AgTech
Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA) have announced that 5 Smart Farms will be launched in 2020 across the State, covering a comprehensive range of crop types and farmings systems. The sites will also be run with partners including the University of Adelaide and Elders.
This Eco-system partnership approach adds an important conduit for research and technology into the Demonstration Farms and distribution opportunities for proven technology through organizations such as Elders.
WHAT ARE DEMONSTRATION FARMS LOOKING FOR:
PIRSA have released a range of resources online which outline what they are looking to deploy onto the Demonstration Farms, as well as the criteria for getting your AgTech onto the Farms.
Fence, gate, and tank monitoring.
Livestock management, including feed intake monitoring.
Pasture management, including climate modelling, remote weed control, livestock pasture intake.
Irrigation Management, including flood and pivot irrigation, automatic gates, bay monitors, movement sensors, fertigation.
Farm vehicle management, including GPS tracking and safety.
Farm management software, including labour task monitoring, pasture use efficiency, stock movements/traceability, satellite imagery.
