Smart Farms Sub-projects
Smart Farms Sub-projects
There were three sub-projects that operated concurrently with other Smart Farms activities.
Treated compost for application on a variety of crops
Compost Application
Preliminary research has indicated that the addition of compost (recycled greenwaste) to various farming systems can provide benefits in improving soil structure and water holding capacity, whilst also providing many of the essential nutrients required for plant growth.
In this project fully subsidised compost was made available to landholders as an alternative or supplement to traditional fertiliser regimes. Rigorous specifications for various grades of compost were developed to ensure a high quality product was provided, and soil tests on participating properties determined which grade of compost was most suitable.
Weather stations help determine how much water needs to be applied to crops (Photo: Scott Machar)
Satellite & SMS Irrigation Water Management Service
In this project a mobile phone SMS irrigation scheduling service was offered to landholders to help improve water use efficiency. The service was fully subsidised for participating farmers for the duration of the Smart Farms project.
The Service combined information from various technologies including satellite imagery and local weather stations to determine the water requirement of crops on individual properties. Irrigators provided daily information on their irrigation history via SMS, and instantly received a return SMS with advice on how long to run their irrigation system to achieve optimum water use and crop productivity. The SMS advice was based on the farmer’s individual irrigation system performance.
Vegetable & Turf Demonstration Farm
The Vegetable & Turf Demonstration Farm is located at Southee Road, Richmond (near the NSW DPI office). The farm showcases best practice for nutrient & water management in vegetable and turf production. The farm is used for training and field days, but is also available for tours by appointment.
Contact us for more information about Smart Farms Projects.