Author Archives: Gilly Bibb

Sustainable farming 

There is a growing desire from farmers and consumers for their produce to be grown using more efficient and environmentally friendly on-farm practices. Sustainable practices are essential for Australian farmers who want to protect land quality for future generations. At the same time, investors, export markets, and local consumers are paying closer attention to the…

Bee alternatives 

As the use of protected glasshouses to grow fruit and vegetables increases with climate change, it has been found that honey bees, who are traditionally used to pollinate crops, do not cope well in glasshouse environments. As a result, pollination by hand is often required, a labour-intensive and time-consuming process involving people having to go…

Creative consumption

Data shows one bad eating experience can turn a consumer off buying a fruit or vegetable again. To limit the chance of that happening, through Hort Innovation Frontiers Australian scientists are collaborating with their global counterparts to develop new papaya, strawberry, mango, pineapple and passionfruit varieties that are based on consumer preference testing. Understanding how…

AI weather forecasting

Growers have long faced the challenge of relying on broad weather forecasts that do not capture the specifics of their fields — a gap that can lead to costly missteps in crop management. Now, a ground-breaking $1.3 million partnership between Hort Innovation Frontiers and startup Jane’s Weather is set to change that, combining artificial intelligence…