Japan tests new satellite on robotic tractors in Riverina

PHOTO: A drone hovers over the Japanese robotic tractor trialled at Rice Research Australia in south-west NSW. (Laurissa Smith)

How would you feel about leaving a tractor to drive itself in one paddock, while you work in another ?

To the busy farmer, struggling to find local labour, it's an appealing concept.

Around the world, manufacturers, engineers and researchers are now trying to turn that into a reality.

In Japan, they've designed a self-steering robotic tractor which can sow, plough and spray crops.

An advanced positioning signal is transmitted from Japan's Quasi-Zenith Satellite System to control the tractor's movements.

The Japanese Government is funding trials to test the tractor on crops at Rice Research Australia near Jerilderie in south-west New South Wales.

Engineering firm Hitachi Zosen, machine manufacturer Yanmar, Hokkaido University and several other Australian universities are working together on the project.

Phil Collier, research director with Australia's Co-operative Research Centre for Spatial Information, hopes the technology can help farmers run their equipment with more accuracy.

"The satellites in the sky determine the position of the tractor in a global frame of reference," he said.

"The additional information that comes from the QZSS Satellites brings the precision down from several metres to two centimetres.

"The whole objective is to bring down the precision to a reliable level and a consistent level to allow that tractor to navigate its way down the rows of crops so things aren't getting run over."

If the trials prove successful, people in rural and remote Australia will have access to precise positioning, without having to rely on the mobile network.

At the moment, the robotic tractor is being tested on rice crops and paddocks late at night and into the early hours of the morning, when the satellite is passing over Australia.

The boundary of the field, the tractor's path and the start and end point of where it can turn are all programmed on a computer inside its cab.

This is to ensure the tractor doesn't veer off into a fence or an irrigation channel.

The CRC's Phil Collier says the technology's application won't be limited to precision farming.

"From mining to automated guidance of cars, anything where there's a level of machine automation required that's outside, then this technology has got that ability to solve that problem.

"My prediction, if I can be so bold, is that this sort of technology will move from sophisticated installations in machines like this to mobile phones in due course and people will have it in their back pocket."

The Japanese Government intends to deploy another three satellites in the near future, which will give Australia 24 hour coverage of the advanced positioning signals, once the technology is commercialised.

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Source: ABC

Poison meat baits approved for use on NSW feral pigs

PHOTO: Huge feral pest pig was found on an outback property 175 kilometres north of Broken Hill in far west New South Wales. (Image: Paul Manion)

New South Wales pastoralists who are trying to reduce booming feral pig numbers on their properties could soon get some extra help.

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority has issued a permit for 1080 poison meat baits to be used on selected rangeland properties in the state.

This is the first time the authority will permit sodium fluoroacetate or 1080, to be used for feral pig control in NSW.

Western Local Land Services will run the trial, which will begin in March this year and continue until June 2016.

NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, said the trial aimed to reduce the devastating impact pest pigs have on primary production.

"It's great to have that authority given to Local Land Services by the APVMA," she said.

"Feral pigs are such dreadful creatures. The farmers will tell anybody that they destroy pastures, sensors and are particularly bad for newborn lambs.

"Local Land Services will be working with landowners to make sure they're getting the best areas covered.

"They're going to be using sensor-controlled cameras to see how effective the take up is of the baits and they'll follow up with trapping, shooting and other control methods."

Ms Hodgkinson said the baits have already been used successfully for wild dog eradication.

She said efforts would be made to ensure minimal impact on non-target species.

"We want to make sure we don't impact the environment," she said.

"When you're using meat baits you'll inevitably get some native animals in there too, but I think overall the net positive is going to be very much for us using 1080 meat baits for this feral pig trial."

Source: ABC