EP 5: Precision Ag with Green Atlas

EPISODE 5:

This week host Olivia Calver talks all things precision agriculture, an area of agtech that has been around for 30 years but is continuing to expand and grow in accuracy, affordability, and applicability.

First up, we speak to Food Agility CRC Chief Scientist Professor David Lamb, an award-winning precision ag innovator and researcher, about the importance of balancing human knowledge with artificial intelligence.

Then we welcome Dr Steven Scheding, director and co-founder of Green Atlas, a company which has created precision ag technology to help decision-making in the horticulture industry.

And we chat to horticulture consultant Nic Finger who has been using the Green Atlas cartographer in his clients’ orchards. He speaks about how the technology is helping to target labour resources.

FEATURING

PROFESSOR DAVID LAMB – FOOD AGILITY CRC, CHIEF SCIENTIST

Professor David Lamb is a physicist and has worked in precision agriculture for more than 25 years. In this time, he has led more than 40 R&D projects and championed the concept of smart farming.
 
He led the launch of Australia’s first SMART Farm at the University of New England and, more recently, the Global Digital Farm at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, NSW.
 
A passionate advocate for rural and regional connectivity, and STEM-led innovations in farming, David has completed numerous reviews of telecommunications challenges and opportunities for Australian agriculture. He is also an advisor on many agricultural sector-specific technical innovation groups and communities of interest. 
 
David currently serves as Australian representative for the International Society for Precision Agriculture. In 2016 he received the McClymont Distinguished Professorship (Research) at UNE in recognition of his ongoing service to agriculture innovation and research leadership, and in 2022 the Pierre C. Robert Award from the International Society of Precision Agriculture for his contribution to precision agriculture science and technology.
 
In addition to his role as Chief Scientist at Food Agility, he holds adjunct and visiting Professor appointments at University of New England, Charles Sturt University and the University of Technology Sydney.

DR STEVEN SCHEDING – GREEN ATLAS, CO-FOUNDER

Dr. Steven Scheding is an internationally recognised robotics and automation professional with a reputation for leading the development of novel technology that solves complex business needs in challenging environments. He has more than two decades of experience leading multidisciplinary teams and multi-institutional partnerships in domains that demand novel, robust and cost-effective solutions, including five years as the director of the Rio Tinto Centre for Mining Automation. In his current role, Dr Scheding co-founded Green Atlas to automate the care of every fruit on every tree on the planet, through AI and robotics.

NIC FINGER – HORTICULTURE CONSULTANT

Nic Finger is the owner of horticulture consultancy company Fruit Help. Nic started the company with the goal of helping fruitgrowers form both a technical (pruning, croploading, planning etc) and financial perspective to enhance their profitability. Nic grew up on his family’s apple orchard in Victoria’s Yarra Valley region and works with a range of growers across Australia and internationally to assist their decision-making process.