15 February 2024
From smart irrigation systems to robot lawn mowers, advancements in green technology have revolutionised the horticultural landscape and enhanced productivity, sustainability and enjoyment in both domestic and agricultural settings.
Southern Downs Regional Council’s Director Planning and Environmental Services Scott Riley said that emerging smart technology offers innovative benefits including streamlined tasks, time savings and increased efficiency, and he encourages the local community to consider taking advantage of new modern methodologies.
“Technology can remarkably improve success in growing plants and crops while also reducing our environmental footprint,” Mr Riley said.
“The benefits of innovative systems extend into each category of horticulture including hydroponics, agriculture, recreational spaces and home gardens.
“There are robots that can weed, trim and harvest, while smart sprinklers schedule watering, detect leaks and adjust irrigation to accommodate rainfall to reduce plant and crop stress, all at your fingertips from a mobile phone or computer.
“Farmers can take advantage of laboratory soil analysis to measure the levels of nutrients and accurately determine the required applications of fertilizer, lime and organic soil additives. This data can also be entered into tractor GPS systems used for broadacre farming.
“From the sky, drones can track plant health by monitoring absorbed or reflected light wavelengths when sunlight shines on a harvest, and this helps inform crop fertilization and watering requirements.
“There are also smart pest control systems that detect and combat pests without relying on chemical pesticides, which has significant sustainable benefits to our environment.
“The home gardener can use handheld tools such as pH meters for soil testing to understand which plants are best suited to their backyard, and handheld sensors that can assess plant health.
“Mobile phone gardening apps have also come of age and can help with identifying appropriate plants, setting reminders, operating irrigation systems remotely, monitoring soil moisture and keeping track of your robot lawn mower.
“There also mobile apps that can design a domestic garden from a photo, taking into consideration the slope, soil, climate and type of flora you wish to cultivate such as vegetables, cottage garden flowers or succulents.
“Smart tech stations can monitor weather conditions and digitally send notifications straight to a mobile phone to advise that soil is dry and needs watering.
“As we consider the sustainability of our planet, the future of intensive food production is heading towards greenhouse technology that will deliver water, light and nutrients as needed, ensuring efficient use of natural resources.
“The goal of smart horticulture technology is to enhance plant health, increase yields, save time, minimise resource wastage and make green cultivation more accessible and sustainable for domestic and agricultural users.
“Using new technologies in your home garden or your farming business is an opportunity to enhance current management systems and improve sustainability outcomes.”
For more information visit:
Horticultural innovation
Farm robots
Efficient irrigation
Last edited date 15 Feb 2024