Introduction
In October 2024, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) cancelled the registration of products containing chlorthal dimethyl, due to serious health risks.
This affected the use of the pre-emergent herbicide Dacthal® which was widely used to control annual grasses and broadleaf weeds in agricultural settings, including crops like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, turf, flowers, fruit and cotton. It worked by inhibiting weed growth before seeds could germinate, making it effective in managing
unwanted plants without harming sensitive crops.

Introduction
Incorporating new technologies or systems into your farming business can often require upfront costs and inherent risks, which can lead to grower hesitation in adopting these approaches on-farm.
If the technology or system is new to a growing region, there is often even more hesitation as the investment risk is deemed higher. Even if the new technology or system does prove effective in other areas of Australia, without growers being able to see it working effectively in their climate, and with their crop types, there can be additional challenges to adopt new technology.

Introduction
Vegetable and melon grower Chris Lyne of Mountain View Fresh Farms in the Burdekin region, north Queensland is no stranger to automation in farming.
In 2024, Chris set up the business with a range of agtech solutions through the Bowen Gumlu Growers Association’s (BGGA) Smart Data Decisions project, funded by AgriFutures Australia’s Producer Technology Uptake Program and the Queensland Rural Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) Agribusiness Digital Solutions Grant Scheme.

Introduction
Queensland vegetable growers are facing increasing pressure to do more with less – less time, fewer skilled workers, and tighter profit margins. As regulatory, administration and compliance demands continue to grow, digital technologies are emerging as a potential solution.
However, many growers lack the time, confidence or resources to explore and adopt these tools, with concerns often raised around reliability, data privacy and real-world practicality.
During a visit to HNG Farms in Bundaberg, grower Brenton Hunt shared how they have been using freely available artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, to support various farm management tasks.

Introduction
Vegetable growers operate in an increasingly complex and
competitive environment where success depends on more than growing high-quality produce. Building business capability skills – such as strategic planning, marketing, governance, risk management and workforce development – is essential to remain viable and sustainable.
Like many growers, Andrew and Zuri Braham of Braham Produce in the Northern Adelaide Plains were so busy managing their day-to-day operations that long-term business planning was delayed.

Introduction

Brady Windolf, a third-generation vegetable grower from southern Queensland, is not only continuing his family’s legacy at Windolf Farms but also looking to the future by exploring international markets.
Recently, Brady participated in a grower study tour to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, facilitated by AUSVEG as part of the Multi-Industry Export Program (MT21009). This experience provided valuable insights into the potential for Australian vegetable exports in Asia and highlighted the challenges and opportunities for growers looking to expand beyond domestic markets.

Introduction

Tasmania’s north-west region supports some of the most intensive and diverse vegetable cropping systems in Australia. Key crops include potatoes, onions, carrots, brassicas, peas, beans, poppies, pyrethrum, and cereals, with fallow periods occasionally used. Rotations change frequently and are typically planned only 1-3 years in advance, which is largely driven by annual or short-term contracts to meet market demand for both processing and fresh market crops. Major vegetable
packers and processors – alongside extraction crop industries – hold most grower contracts and have some level of influence over agronomic decisions through field officers, while most growers employ their own agronomist.

Introduction

Located on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, Peninsula Fresh Organics is a certified organic farm known for its wide array of leafy greens and vegetables. The farm grows lettuce, pak choy, cos, leeks, spring onions, silverbeet, chard, radish, broccoli, kale, cauliflower and more. As a forward-thinking grower, the team constantly looks for ways to improve efficiency and sustainability, particularly in their spray application practices, which are crucial to organic farming.

Introduction

Building healthy soils and managing nutrients is a key focus area for VegNET Victoria. This year, the project has supported growers across the state to build awareness and understanding of the different ways they can increase crop health through one-on-one discussions and targeted events.
One example of this knowledge sharing occurred in June 2025 when VegNET Victoria hosted Hort Connections keynote speaker Julius Joel from G’s Group in the United Kingdom to discuss several features of their farming practices, including their hugely successful shift to using multi-species cover cropping. G’s Group crops 17,500 hectares of farmland across the UK and Europe in a range of environments and soil types. 

Introduction

Western Australia’s Myalup vegetable production region is located near the Peel-Yalgorup Wetlands. This is a large and diverse wetland system which is internationally listed as a wetland of importance (Ramsar site 482).
The soil in the Myalup vegetable growing region is coarse sand, with negligible clay content and very low organic carbon. Given the soil’s poor water and nutrient holding capacity, grower inputs in the Myalup region are usually higher compared to other growing regions.