Organic farmers take on innovative technology for precision agriculture

Farming is a family affair for third generation farmers Ben and Matt Abbott. The Abbott brothers run 180 acres of organic bananas and papayas across two farms in Mena Creek and Wangan in Far North Queensland. 

“Our farming practices have been over 40 years in the making, and we would not be where we are today without the hard work our parents Robert and Jenny put in,” Matt said. 

Rob and Jenny Abbott, made the bold switch from conventional to organic production methods twenty years ago, laying the foundation for sustainable farming practices. Today, Matt and Naomi, and Ben and Katelyn, proudly carry on the family legacy. 

The Abbotts are continually trialing new ways to improve farm management both for their own business and for the environment.  

“Sustainability is a core value of our business. We believe in our product and that our job as farmers is to provide good, healthy, nutritious food, through sustainable practices,” said Ben. 

Doing the right thing for both their business and the environment is nothing new for the Abbotts who do not use any synthetic fertilisers on the farm, or herbicides to control groundcover or manage weeds within the inter-rows and beds, maintaining organic status. 

In 2022, the brothers were recognised for their innovative practices and a willingness to share their experiences with a Reef Pesticide Stewardship Champion Award. This award recognised the exemplary efforts of their farming business to improve their practices and reduce runoff. 

With the aim to future-proof their farms, the Abbotts are not afraid to try innovative technologies. They use drones to optimise the process of applying protectants and beneficial insects to their crops, and to monitor coverage and crop health.  

Through funding from the partnership between the Australian Government's Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, agronomy service provider Farmacist has developed an industry-first banana yield monitoring system. 

The Abbotts were keen to be part of Farmacist's quest to build a foundation for precision agriculture solutions in bananas. They are trialing the prototype banana yield mapping system on their farm to collect data about banana growth rates and help identify where they need fertilisers most – and where they do not.

Recognising the value of the Farmacist system, Ben and Matt took proactive steps to upgrade their spreader, enabling variable product application within their paddocks. This upgraded spreader, coupled with the Farmacist system's utilisation of RFID tags, enables real-time tracking of each banana bunch from field to packing shed via an interactive grower portal. This technological integration allows Ben to precisely tailor nutrient application, effectively addressing block yield variability, reducing the amount of product applied and significantly enhancing overall farming efficiency. 

“I see this technology has the ability to transform the way we farm,” shares Ben Abbott, reflecting on the impact of the Farmacist system. “I believe it will be a tool to not only improve our productivity and efficiency, but it will allow us to continually improve and refine our farming practice through the data it collects.” 

When harvested, the banana bunches are weighed in the packing shed. An RFID tag reader generates a report. Proprietary software provides real-time data through the grower interface which the Abbotts use to map yield, plan nutrient application, manage the workforce, and plan harvesting.  

The Abbotts are one of three banana farms who are trialing the banana yield monitoring system. The Farmacist Banana Yield Mapping system is expected to be a commercially available product for banana growers in Queensland by 2025.