R&D: Lessons from the Soil Wealth ICP Skye trial site
On a windy day in May, 20 vegetable industry members got together to hear the latest lessons from a trial site hosted by Butler Market Gardens near Melbourne, run by the Soil Wealth and Integrated Crop Protection project.Butler Market Gardens has hosted a Soil Wealth ICP trial at their Skye farm for a number of years, and the trial has been a useful vehicle for the business to explore its own practices, as well as generating lessons for the wider industry.AUSVEG's Tom Bicknell caught up at the field day with Camilla Humphries from RMCG and Dale Creed from Butler Market Gardens.Learn more about the project discussed in this episode: Soil Wealth and Integrated Crop Protection - phase 3 (MT22004)Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Tik Tok.
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R&D: How do you integrate new agtech into your business?
A few episodes ago we spoke to grower Dan Hodges about some of the cutting-edge agtech he’d seen on a study tour of the US.Well in April, some of that leading tech was on display in Tasmania at the Ag Innovation Expo 2025, held at the Hagley Farm School by the Tasmanian Agricultural Productivity Group.Ian Layden from the Queensland Department of Primary Industries was at the expo to run a farm mechanisation field demo as part of the VegMech project, a three-year project to help Australian vegetable growers adopt advanced mechanisation technology.Ian also joined a timely panel discussion on the key issues facing Tasmania’s onion sector, where he spoke about how agtech could be part of the solution.AUSVEG’s Campbell Cooney caught up with Ian at the expo.Learn more about the project discussed in this episode: Advanced vegetable mechanisation program to maximise labour and cost efficiency (VG23003)Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Tik Tok.
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Advocacy: National food security starts on the farm
Discover why resilient local agriculture is critical to national security. Andrew Henderson shares practical steps to safeguard Australia's food systems for a more secure, sustainable future.Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries. Join us for insights from growers, industry leaders, and researchers on the latest challenges and opportunities in Australian horticulture.Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Tik Tok.
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R&D Edition: Controlling herbicide resistant ryegrass in onions with pre-emergents
Vegalogue is a regular podcast from vegetable, potato and onion industry peak body AUSVEG, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector.Annual ryegrass is one of the most costly weeds for the Australian ag industry. It’s a major problem in grain crops, and it causes significant issues in horticulture as well.For many years, farmers have relied on herbicides to control ryegrass, but in Australia the weed has now evolved resistance to multiple chemistries, particularly post-emergents.The prevalence of herbicide resistance in ryegrass populations varies around the country; across southern Australia the Grains Research and Development Corporation cites a range of 1-93 percent for post emergent herbicide resistance, but only 0-32 percent for pre-emergents.That lower resistance to pre-emergent herbicides prompted Tim Groom of Tasmanian onion grower Wynyon to explore which pre-emergents might work well for an onion crop, in concert with an integrated weed management approach.Learn more about the project discussed in this episode: Accelerating the adoption of best management practices for the Australian onion industryVegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Tik Tok.
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Advocacy Edition: Education and the path to a stronger horticulture workforce with Luciano Mesiti
Vegalogue is a regular podcast from vegetable, potato and onion industry peak body AUSVEG, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector.Workforce shortages remain a major challenge for horticulture, with nearly half of Australian vegetable growers reporting difficulty in filling skilled and semi-skilled roles. In this episode, we explore how early education and industry engagement can shape a stronger, more sustainable horticulture workforce.Luciano Mesiti, CEO of the Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA), joins us to discuss the crucial role that food and fibre education plays in inspiring the next generation of agricultural workers.From breaking down industry stereotypes to developing curriculum-aligned resources and building pathways from school to career, Luciano highlights the work being done—and what still needs to be done—to connect students with the world of horticulture. He also shares how partnerships between schools and agribusinesses can create more visible and viable career opportunities for young Australians.Vegalogue is the podcast from AUSVEG, the peak body for Australia’s vegetable, potato, and onion industries, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector. Thanks for listening! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Tik Tok.
A dialogue on research, advocacy and people in the Australian vegetable industry from AUSVEG, Australia's peak industry body for the vegetable, potato and onion sectors.
Australia