Australian Tree Crop Map gets $1.7 million boost

AS horticulture growers gear up for a seemingly volatile summer ahead, extra funding for a tree mapping program could provide some peace of mind. The next phase of the national Australian Tree Crop Map has been funded through a $1.7 million investment through Hort Innovation. Led by the University of New England's (UNE) Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre (AARSC) in partnership with Future Food Systems CRC, the Australian Tree Crop Map will be supercharged to include new plantings and more detail for the participating tree crop industries. The Australian Tree Crop Map can be used by authorities and horticulture industry groups to track impacted areas following extreme weather or biosecurity events and provide assistance where it is needed most. Avocados Australia, Australian Banana Growers' Council, Citrus Australia and Australian Macadamia Society are all partnering in this mapping research. The map can also be used for directing labour forces and forecasting productivity. ...