Precision ag pays off in bumper celery crop: Koo Wee Rup demonstration site

Soil Wealth Integrated Crop Protection

Over the past two years, Victorian vegetable growing operation Schreurs & Sons and the Soil Wealth ICP team have partnered to explore the application of precision agriculture in celery, leek and baby leaf production systems. The demonstration site is located at Adam Schreurs’ Cora Lynn farm, about 80km south-east of Melbourne, Victoria.

During that time, Adam and the team have aimed to improve nutrition, irrigation and drainage management, and insect pest and beneficial monitoring as a basis for soil and crop health. To achieve this, a range of technology was used including EM38 mapping, gridded soil sampling, variable rate fertiliser spreading, remote monitoring of insect pests and beneficial identification traps with cameras, as well as drones.

This podcast explores some of the key demonstration site findings and lessons from 2018 to 2020.

You can also read the accompanying case study that showcases more detailed results.

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture