Rural Business April 2025

Market insight

Swiss precision AI technology is coming

May 15, 2025 | 2 min read

Ecorobotix, a Swiss company specialising in AI-driven agricultural technology, is expanding into Australia through a strategic dealer partnership with RDO Equipment Australia.

Adjuvants & spray oils - Market insight

Smart sprays and cold plasma to optimise crop productivity

May 14, 2025 | 3 min read

Two Murdoch University research projects have received investment from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) to improve profitability and sustainability for Australian grain growers.

Commentary

Australian food market's new normal

May 13, 2025 | 4 min read

Australian food market’s new normal Australia’s food market appears to be normalising after a chaotic five-year period impacted by factors including Covid, supply chain disruptions and inflation – Rabobank says in a newly-released report writes Michael Harvey. *

Management

How to know if your team is high functioning

May 12, 2025 | 4 min read

As a performance coach and adviser to leaders and leadership teams for the past20 years, I’ve had an incredible vantage point from which to observe what separates high performing teams from dysfunctional ones, write Stephanie Bown.*

Agribusiness

Fungus the frontline fleabane fight

May 9, 2025 | 6 min read

A natural fungal agent specific to flaxleaf fleabane weeds is entering the final phase of development for eventual field deployment.

Rural Business

High-tech plant scanner gets green thumbs up

May 8, 2025 | 2 min read

One of the world's most advanced plant phenotyping technologies has made its way to Australia and is poised to revolutionise plant research and agriculture at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ).

Movers & Shakers

Daniels leaves Citrus Australia

May 7, 2025 | 1 min read

Citrus Australia has announced the departure of David Daniels, general manager of market development, after 12 years of dedicated service to the Australian citrus industry.

Rural Business

Black Box Co launches Base Pair Genomics

May 7, 2025 | 2 min read

Livestock data analysis and insights software company, Black Box Co, will launch a new arm of its business, Base Pair Genomics, at the NT Cattle-men’s Association Conference in Darwin.

Movers & Shakers

McKillop takes the chair at Sea Forest

May 6, 2025 | 1 min read

Sea Forest Limited, a leader in sustainable agricultural innovation, has appointed John McKillop its non-executive chair.

Movers & Shakers

Barenbrug leadership changes

May 6, 2025 | 1 min read

Barenbrug Australia has announced several key appointments to its leadership team.

Movers & Shakers

Gall is the top pick

May 5, 2025 | 2 min read

Executive members of leading fresh produce and floral trade association, International Fresh Produce Association ANZ (formerly PMA ANZ), have unanimously elected Premier Fresh Australia chief operating officer Dean Gall as chairman.

Movers & Shakers

Industry stalwarts recognised

May 5, 2025 | 1 min read

The prestigious 2024 Farrer Memorial Medal has gone to Prof. Andy Barr for his contribution to field crop breeding over a career spanning more than 30 years.

Agsafe

How to bag a plastic waste problem

May 2, 2025 | 3 min read

Regional and rural Australia has become the testing ground for the drive to recycle more of the 45,000 tonnes of soft plastic used in agriculture every year.

Agribusiness - News

Canberra commits to national food security strategy

May 2, 2025 | 2 min read

AUSVEG has welcomed the commitment from the Australian government to a national food security strategy as a recognition of the importance of shoring up future food supply and the long-term viability of Australia’s vegetable industry.

Agribusiness - News

Unlocking grower solutions for Australia’s biggest horticulture challenges

May 1, 2025 | 3 min read

Mentoring to transform ideas into real solutions is one of the key offerings of a new program launched by Hort Frontiers.

Agribusiness - News

Crop breeders attend ACB Breeders Week in Melbourne

May 1, 2025 | 1 min read

More than 150 of Australia’s leading field crop breeders, researchers and industry representatives were in Melbourne at the start of March for the third annual ACB Breeders Week series of meetings and workshops.

Agribusiness - News

New test measures antibacterial properties of honey

May 1, 2025 | 2 min read

A tool developed by e University of Western Australia and commercialised by bee research centre Y-Trace can measure the antibacterial properties of honey with unprecedented accuracy.

Agribusiness - News

Future Farming Forum highlights challenges and opportunities for farm transition

May 1, 2025 | 3 min read

With around 70 per cent of Australian family farms expected to transition to the next generation in the next five years, a key event bringing together some of the brightest young minds in farming has identified gaps and opportunities to help support young farmers.

Adjuvants & spray oils - Market insight

Take care with adjuvants when fruit thinning

April 30, 2025 | 2 min read

Fruit growers and their advisers are reminded to take the utmost care and choose the right adjuvant before applying chemical thinners and plant growth regulators (PGRs) in their pome and stone fruit orchards this season.

Adjuvants & spray oils - Market insight

JD’s See & Spray Select comes Down Under

April 30, 2025 | 3 min read

Australian farmers have played a crucial role in testing improvements to John Deere’s See & Spray Select, which now has in-season variable rate capabilities via AutoTrac automation and ExactApply technologies.

Market insight - Winter cropping

Power of pastures and fodder crops to lower weed numbers

April 29, 2025 | 4 min read

A robust crop and pasture rotation and strong crop competition are very effective strategies in mixed farming operations to keep weed numbers low in grain crops.

Market insight

How do I stop gazanias invading crops?

April 29, 2025 | 5 min read

Dr Ali Bajwa, a weed scientist at La Trobe University, says gazanias have become more common on road verges during the past decade and, more recently, have started to invade cropping paddocks in several low rainfall regions of South Australia and Victoria.

Market insight - Winter cropping

Game changer seed treatment hits the market

April 28, 2025 | 3 min read

A decade of Australian development has culminated in a breakthrough for wheat and barley growers, with Victrato seed treatment now registered for the management of devastating Fusarium sp. crown rot.

Merchandise

Gold standard pain relief for lambs

April 25, 2025 | 3 min read

Providing pain relief during surgical animal husbandry procedures is a better choice for livestock, producers and the industry as a whole.

Merchandise

ACTA celebrates 35 years of Foxoff

April 25, 2025 | 3 min read

First registered in Australia in 1989, Foxoff contains the naturally occurring active sodium fluoroacetate and due to its unique properties, Foxoff and 1080 have a unique and critical fit in protecting our local native flora, fauna and farming livelihoods.

Merchandise

Anipro boosts performance

April 24, 2025 | 2 min read

At GrainCorp Animal Nutrition, we believe that nutritional supplementation is often the missing piece of the puzzle for producers looking to take their herd’s performance to the next level.

Merchandise

Using residual herbicides to beat fence line resistance

April 23, 2025 | 5 min read

Fence lines can be a haven for weeds, perpetuating one of the biggest threats to agricultural crops, however growers have the opportunity to reduce this risk through the use of herbicides offering long-term weed control.

Merchandise

Research into industry’s best grass herbicide strategies

April 23, 2025 | 4 min read

Independent, showpiece trials investigating the best upfront herbicide strategies put forward by crop protection companies against annual ryegrass are proving highly valuable for growers’ weed management planning.

Merchandise

Using the right rodenticide matters

April 22, 2025 | 5 min read

Careful product selection can not only optimise the success of your rodent control program but help to minimise the unintentional poisoning of non-target species.

Adjuvants & spray oils - Market insight

Unlock the power of your herbicide with Hasten

April 21, 2025 | 2 min read

Vicchem’s Hasten Spray Adjuvant is proven to unlock the power of your herbicide to make a real performance difference in your farming operation.

Rural Business

Stronger Rainbow ready to shine for Australian industry

April 21, 2025 | 3 min read

Rainbow, China’s largest agrichemical exporter, is set to expand its contribution to the Australian crop protection industry with a broader product portfolio, enhanced facilities, and a strengthened management and field team.

Market insight - Winter pastures & forage

Winter pasture filler is homegrown success story

April 18, 2025 | 3 min read

Winter pasture feed gap filler ProGibb Smartgrass (SG) began life as a plant growth regulator in Australian table grapes, but it was the accidental discovery of its success in pasture management some 20 years ago which opened a global market for agricultural solutions supplier Sumitomo Chemical.

Merchandise

Quality is the key for WA family farm

April 16, 2025 | 3 min read

Verpixo Adavelt active is a new Group 21 fungicide from Corteva Agriscience designed to protect melons and other cucurbit crops from damaging diseases such as powdery mildew and gummy stem blight.

Merchandise

Trezac Arylex active helping graziers extinguish fireweed

April 16, 2025 | 3 min read

Livestock producers have greater ability to control the highly invasive fireweed, with Trezac Arylex active now registered for use in grass pastures via boom application.

Market insight

Boosted blend delivers soil health and crop benefits

April 15, 2025 | 3 min read

Australian farmers seeking to improve soil health are reporting promising results after trialling biologically enhanced efficiency fertiliser (EEF) Fertica H+ ahead of its market launch.