Tech time: A guide to getting soil moisture monitoring right
Soil moisture monitoring can provide a real-time and predictive decision-making support tool for growers to improve their irrigation scheduling and water use…
Beneficial bugs boosted through native vegetation insectaries trials in Werribee
AAA Farms and Mason Fresh Produce in Werribee South, Victoria are trialling native vegetation insectaries on their farms to boost beneficial…
Celebrating R&D adoption in Victoria’s vegetable industry
It has been five years since the National Vegetable Extension Network (VegNET) projects in Victoria introduced the R&D Adoption Award at…
EGVID 2020: A virtual success for R&D
The 2020 East Gippsland Vegetable Innovation Days (EGVID 2020) received the R&D Adoption and Industry Impact Award at the 2021 AUSVEG VIC Awards…
How does the surrounding landscape affect beneficials on your farm?
Research led by Charles Sturt University demonstrates that the type of landscape surrounding a vegetable farm is an important influencer of…
Webinar recording: Field and landscape management for beneficial arthropods
Have you heard about native vegetation insectaries? Want to attract more beneficial insects to your crops to better manage pests? On-farm…
Boosting beneficials in your vegetable crop
Beneficial insects and other invertebrates (‘beneficials’) include pollinators, nutrient cyclers, predators and parasitoids of plant pests. The role that predators and…
Compost calculator: knowing the value of organic amendments in your vegetable nutrition program in Victoria
The addition of organic soil amendments is becoming increasingly popular in vegetable production. Organic amendments provide a range of benefits to…
Cover Crops for Australian Growers
The table below provides a starting point for helping you choose a cover crop for your farm. Adapt the information to…
Weed Management Guide – Wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum)
Wild radish is a notable weed in all forms of cultivation where it occurs, including vegetables (Figure 2). It is particularly…
Managing irrigation requirements using soil moisture monitoring
Watch this webinar to hear from Dr Kelvin Montagu (AHR), from the Soil Wealth and Integrated Crop Protection team, on what’s…
Vegetable grower’s experience with managing COVID-19 (AUSVEG VIC Executive Director)
We hear from Corrigan's Produce Farms Managing Director and AUSVEG VIC Executive Director Deborah Corrigan who is dedicated to the betterment...
VegNET – Supporting Vegetable Growers
The VegNET project aims to build regional capacity of the vegetable industry by providing research and development (R&D) extension services, products…
Winter Cover Cropping for Weed Management – Aglink & Ivankovich Farms
In 2018 and 2019, through the vegetable levy funded project ‘A strategic approach to weed management for the Australian vegetable industry‘…
Translating Precision Agriculture (PA) Data Case Study – Fresh Select
Fresh Select is one of the largest lettuce and brassica growers in Australia. As a leader in innovation, sustainable farming techniques…
Viruses infecting Brassicas
The ‘Viruses infecting Brassicas’ fact sheet provides information in relation to virus diseases of brassica crops. This includes information on economic…
Integrated Weed Management (IWM) Case Study – Schreurs & Sons
Schreurs & Sons is a large and successful vegetable growing business based in Clyde, Victoria. Their Koo Wee Rup farm is…
VegNET (N, W, SE) e-news issue 41 – March 2020
NEWS VegNet Phase 2 Vegetables Australia – Autumn 2020 Edition AgChem Update – Regulatory Support and Coordination Fall Armyworm Update and…
Vegetable Levy R&D Project Updates Webinar
Watch this webinar to learn from key researchers about the latest findings of several Hort Innovation Vegetable Levy Funded Projects as…
Planning for Summer – Irrigation and Water Management
As crop growth and water use increase with the warmer weather, it’s a good time to think about getting on top…
Commercial Greenhouse Cucumber Production Manual 2019
The Commercial Greenhouse Cucumber Production manual provides basic guidance on growing greenhouse cucumbers, an industry that has expanded rapidly in the last few…
Strategic Weed Management – Shreurs & Sons
Schreurs & Sons is a large and successful vegetable growing business based in Clyde, Victoria. The VG15070 “A strategic approach to…
Native vegetation insectaries – permanent habitat for beneficial insects
On-farm insectaries are areas of flowering plants that attract and maintain beneficial insect populations by providing shelter from highly disturbed crop…
Clustering, a regional framework for improving vegetable industry outcomes.
The ‘East Gippsland Food Cluster’ Incorporated (now amalgamated with ‘Agribusiness Gippsland’ Incorporated to form ‘Food & Fibre Gippsland’ Incorporated) is one…
Clubroot: a Galling Disease
Clubroot is one of the most destructive diseases of brassicas globally. Although it was detected in Australia as early as the…
Mark and Darren Schreurs, Peter Schreurs & Sons – Winner R&D Adoption Award 2019
The R&D Adoption Award was developed by the National Vegetable Extension Network (VegNET) in Victoria as part of the 2019 AUSVEG...
Implement an Energy Management System
Each farm has unique opportunities to maximise the energy efficiency of its operation. One way to identify these opportunities is to gain a better understanding of the energy consumption of a side of your business by implementing an energy management system (EMS).
Precision agriculture in vegetable production
Precision agriculture (PA) technologies have been widely adopted throughout various agricultural industries in Australia, but what exactly is PA, and what…
Integrated Pest Management of vegetable pests – a more sustainable approach (webinar recording)
Watch this informative and interactive one-hour session to get the latest updates from vegetable industry experts, including IPM Technologies, E.E. Muir...
Insulate refrigerant piping for cool rooms
Refrigeration is consistently one of the largest energy consuming loads on farms that we have assessed. Keeping the refrigerant cool between…
Insulate hot water supply and return piping for greenhouses
Greenhouses are typically heated using hot water produced by a gas boiler. This type of heating system is cost effective for…
Installing timers on IBWs
Instant boiling water (IBW) units are common additions to lunch rooms around Australia and will use energy to maintain hot water…
Anti-fouling additive for compressors
Refrigeration often uses the largest amount of energy on farms. Ensuring the refrigeration system and all its associated components, such as…
The ‘breakdown’ on composts
The rising cost of fertiliser inputs and a greater understanding of the importance of soil health has prompted interest in the…
Spray technology for vegetable growers: a guide to getting it right (webinar recording)
Chemicals play an important role in vegetable production and are regularly used to control insect pests, diseases and weeds. Poor spray...
Harvesting innovation with Hort Innovation
Hort Innovation invests in a wide range of marketing and R&D programs to help increase the productivity and profitability of the...
Sustaining vegetable production with subsoil manuring
Subsoil manuring (SSM) is the process of placing organic amendments into the upper layers of hostile subsoils in order to improve…
Vegetable agrichemical pest management needs & priorities
Growers of some horticultural crops suffer from a lack of legal access to crop protection products (pesticides). The problem may be…
Vegetable and potato biosecurity program
Biosecurity preparedness has reduced the risks and threats of the world’s pests and diseases arrival, and prevented major outbreaks, in Australia….
Assessing the costs associated with vegetable production
Determining the Cost of Production (CoP) is vital to understanding the economic viability of a farming system. The CoP is defined…
Biosecurity lessons in planning and response for the vegetable industry (webinar recording)
Plant biosecurity is a series of measures that aid in protecting production areas from harmful insects, weeds, and various plant diseases....
VegNET – Carl Larsen (Victoria)
Are you a vegetable grower? VegNET has been set up by Hort Innovation and the vegetable industry to connect you to…
Precision agriculture technology in vegetable production systems
Precision agriculture (or PA) uses a combination of new technology and existing agronomic knowledge to maximise farm efficiency. There are many...
Andrew Fragapane, Fragapane Farms – Winner R&D Adoption Award 2017
The inaugural R&D Adoption Award was developed by the National Vegetable Extension Network (VegNET) in Victoria as part of the 2017...
Lessons from the field – Sean Croft
Sean Croft, of Arahura Farms, is one of Australia’s largest organic carrot growers and is interested in improving soil management practices…
Lessons from the field – Andrew Fragapane
Werribee South grower Andrew Fragapane took home the highly contested VegNET Sponsored R&D Adoption Award, as part of the 2017 AUSVEG…
Lessons from the field – David Wallace
Third generation vegetable grower, David Wallace, runs Wallace Vegetable Farm with his wife Robin and son Matt. The family business originally…
Vegetable Careers 1
Vegetable farming now requires management of the environment, people, and food safety as well as production processes. Jobs can involve the...
Vegetable Careers 2
Specialised and skilled roles within the vegetable industry are increasing and provide the opportunity to work up the ladder on-farm or...
Paul Gazzola and IPM
Vegetable grower Paul Gazzola talks about how he controls insect pests using natural predators. IPM Better For You Better for the...
Peter Schreurs and IPM
Vegetable Grower Peter Schreurs describes his passion for growing vegetables naturally, using sustainable practices. IPM Better For You Better for the...
Stuart Grigg and IPM
Agronomist Stuart Grigg describes the natural approach to growing healthy broccoli. IPM Better For You Better for the Environment