PRODUCTIVITY
The levers unlocking productivity and the opportunities ahead
Rising input costs, labour pressures and increasing seasonal variability are reshaping how growers make decisions on farm. These pressures, being felt right now, are tightening margins, making productivity gains essential to maintaining profitability not just growing output.
While no single project can offset short-term shocks in a single season, sustained productivity gains that endure are built over time. That’s why targeted R&D investments across the sector are focused on supporting practical decision making, testing changes in real farming systems under Australian conditions, and building evidence around what works, where, and at what risk.
With projects underway and early results emerging, growers are beginning to see where specific productivity levers can be addressed, whether by reducing reliance on the most constrained inputs, protecting what’s already grown, or improving consistency, without the need to overhaul entire production systems.
Exploring new options to strengthen fertiliser resilience
The project: PlasmaLeap Technologies – decentralised fertiliser production
What it’s addressing: Exploring whether fertiliser can be made closer to farm to reduce exposure to supply shortages and price shocks.
Access to affordable, reliable fertiliser is a critical factor in crop productivity. Through a recent Hort Innovation‑supported investment, PlasmaLeap Technologies is progressing a new approach to producing key fertiliser inputs using air, water and renewable electricity.
The technology is still in early development, with pilot fertiliser hubs and field‑based evaluation planned. While not intended as a near‑term replacement for existing supply chains, the work is exploring whether decentralised production could, over time, provide growers with greater flexibility and confidence in fertiliser access, supporting productivity and longer‑term resilience.
Protecting yield by reducing crop losses
The project: Drone‑enabled bird management (AS24007)
What it’s addressing: Protecting yield that’s already been grown by cutting crop losses before harvest.
Bird damage remains a persistent challenge across many horticultural crops, reducing the proportion of harvested produce that reaches market. This project focuses on improving productivity by limiting losses before harvest, rather than increasing inputs or production area. Early field trials in Australian almond orchards demonstrate the potential of this approach, with strong reductions in crop loss and bird pressure recorded in high‑pressure growing environments.
Drone‑enabled deterrent systems are being trialled to assess their effectiveness and consistency across different crops and growing conditions. Initial results from almond orchards showed an 89% reduction in fruit loss within monitored blocks and a 94% displacement of bird activity following drone engagement. By protecting yield already produced, this work targets a clear productivity pressure point using adaptable technology suited to a range of growing systems.
Cutting labour reliance through on‑farm automation
The project: Advanced vegetable mechanisation (VG23003)
What it’s addressing: Reducing reliance on labour without disrupting existing production systems.
Labour availability and cost remain significant constraints in vegetable production. This Hort Innovation‑funded project is assessing where automation and robotics, such as precision weeding and autonomous equipment, can reduce labour demand while maintaining crop quality and operational reliability.
By trialling technologies on commercial farms, the work is helping growers understand whether mechanisation can reduce operational intensity and improve timeliness without introducing new complications. Early results are identifying where automation can complement existing systems, targeting labour pressure without forcing wholesale system change.
Turning extension into consistent yield gains
The project: PotatoLink (PT20000)
What it’s addressing: Lifting productivity by helping growers consistently apply proven practices that improve yield and input efficiency.
Productivity improvements are often driven by how consistently good practice is applied. PotatoLink supports growers to optimise soil health, refine input use and improve yield through field demonstrations, workshops and ongoing advisory support.
Industry reporting shows that recent national yield improvements can be linked, in part, to the project’s extension activities. These outcomes highlight how better timing and more precise application of existing practices can lift productivity while avoiding unnecessary cost or complexity.
Improving orchard performance through irrigation precision
The project: Improving avocado irrigation efficiency (AV23013)
What it’s addressing: Improving yield consistency by matching irrigation more closely to crop needs.
Irrigation decisions play a critical role in orchard productivity and consistency. This project is helping avocado growers refine irrigation scheduling so water application more closely aligns with crop demand.
Improved irrigation precision can support tree health, reduce unnecessary input use and contribute to more consistent yields across variable seasons. The focus is on decision‑support tools that improve efficiency without adding complexity, supporting productivity at orchard level.
At Hort Innovation, everything we do is built on our vision to create a prosperous and sustainable Australian horticulture industry built on innovation.
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