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NEW PARTNERSHIP COMBINES SENSORS AND ANALYTICS TO MAXIMISE WATER USE EFFICIENCY CSIRO and Australian agtech company Goanna Ag recently announced a partnership that combines sensors and analytics to maximise the water use efficiency of irrigated crops. This technology, called WaterWise, is an Australian first in that it measures crop water stress and predicts future water needs in real time, providing irrigators with a tool that can help them save water or produce more crop per drop.

Goanna Ag, which produces agricultural sensing systems for water-use efficiency, will be delivering WaterWise’s smart analytics as a data stream to their on-farm customers.

CEO Alicia Garden said that for Goanna Ag and its customers, being involved in this innovation means they can access brand-new, Australian-made, science-based technology and incorporate it into their existing GoField system.

Above: CSIRO's Dr Rose Brodrick with a prototype WaterWise sensor in tomatoes. Photo: David Ducros

Right: Goanna ag canopy sensor in CSIRO tomato trials near Swan Hill in Victoria. Photo: Goanna Ag

The WaterWise system lets the plants do the talking with in-field sensors that measure the canopy temperature of crops every 15 minutes. It then sends the data to CSIRO’s sensor data infrastructure, adds in the weather forecast and uses machine learning to apply CSIRO’s unique algorithm to predict the crop’s water requirements for the next seven days.

WaterWise team leader Dr Rose Brodrick explained that predicting the future is the real breakthrough science. It means that for the first time, growers can see the water stress of their crops at any point and predict their future water needs.

When things are normal it’s easier to predict when a plant will need water, but a temptation for irrigators if they are not sure is to just add water. The advantage of using high tech is that water users can be more confident in their decision making because of the data they have access to.

Developing and commercialising this new technology involved a range of skill sets from agronomists to plant physiologists, data and machine learning experts, software engineers, social scientists and innovation specialists. And it was done in record time.

The next steps for WaterWise are to take it from in-field based canopy sensors to drones or satellites.

Goanna Ag expects the system incorporating WaterWise will be commercially available in time for the 2020 summer cropping season.

Source. CSIRO website.

TORO FOUNDATION DONATES TO GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS RELIEF In April 2020, The Toro Company announced that was donating $US500,000 through the Toro Foundation to help families and communities worldwide that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding will focus on providing food, health and humanitarian assistance.

“Supporting our customers and communities is an important part of our culture and core to who we are as a company,” said Rick Olson, chairman and chief executive officer of The Toro Company. “Now more than ever, it is critical that we come together to respond to the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 and to support those most vulnerable in our communities.”

The contributions include commitments to several global non-profit organisations that are helping in relief efforts, including the American Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Feeding America, the World Food Program, the United Way Worldwide, and United Way organisations in communities where Toro employees live and work.

An additional element of the global giving effort includes a special program for its employees who wish to personally

give to designated COVID-19 relief organisations. Under the program, the company will match employee contributions to a non-profit organisation of their choice in support of relief efforts.

Source: Toro website.

NETAFIM INTEGRATES FLUROSAT'S REMOTE SENSING TECHNOLOGY INTO NETBEAT Earlier this year, Netafim and FluroSat, which specialises in remote field sensing and analytics, announced they had joined forces to integrate FluroSat's data into Netafim’s smart irrigation platform, NetBeat.

As a result of this collaboration, Netafim's customers will have access to advanced crop monitoring tools as a standalone monitoring and analysis service or directly integrated into NetBeat. This wil provide site-specific irrigation recommendations with near-real-time adjustment of irrigation and fertigation quantities based on the current crop condition assessed by Flurosat’s FluroSense agronomic analytics engine.

FluroSense provides data about the performance and the status of the crops, reporting biomass levels, canopy cover, growth stage, and crop development trends for every field or block on a farm. It also enables detection of crop stress stemming from nutrient deficiency, pest, disease or irrigation system issues such as leaks and sends out corresponding alerts.

Following the pilot across a range of crops in Netafim key regions (North America, South America, Australia), FluroSense analytics is being rolled out across the Netafim network and is available to all dealers and customers of Netafim.

Source: Netafim website.

Conrad Odgers and Jodie Wainwright, owners of Think Water Smithton in Tasmania, were recently announced as 2019 winners of the Franchise of the Year Award. In a significant achievement, they have won the award three years in a row.

Think Water Smithton was recently awarded the Australian Think Water Franchise of The Year Award for 2019, which it has now won for three years in a row. The remarkable achievement reflects the commitment business owners Conrad Odgers and Jodie Wainwright have for delivering outstanding customer service, ongoing staff development, excellent business processes and successful partnerships with preferred suppliers. Tony France from Think Water said that with so many successful businesses competing for the award throughout Australia, the Smithton team has displayed smart business practices and a commitment to the Think Water franchise model, resulting in strong growth. Conrad and Jodie see their staff as dedicated and valued members of their team and believe they are one of the keys to their success. Staff turnover in the business is minimal and those who have left for personal reasons want to come back and be part of the Think Water Smithton team.

In the last 18 months, Conrad and Jodie have taken on the challenge of opening a new store in Spreyton, around 1.5 hours drive from the Smithton store. While this expansion means running two businesses under the Think Water franchise model, this has not affected their ability to deliver professional services for their customers. The business has added new markets including centre pivot supply and installation to their growing portfolio of water management projects such as stock watering, solar-powered pump systems and effluent management. Jodie and Conrad believe the support they receive from the National Support Team in the form of business coaching, systems and marketing has greatly improved their business and has been very useful for solving everyday issues.