NASA has announced its Artemis III mission will involve cultivating and returning lunar grown plants to Earth. Image: Artsiom P/stock.adobe.com NASA’s Artemis III mission, planned for a September 2026 launch, will see astronauts collect plant growth and development data – helping scientists understand the use of plants grown for both human nutrition and life support on the Moon and beyond. Known as Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora (LEAF), the project will also see the first human steps on the moon by humans in more than 50 years. A plethora of partners who will pioneer this initiative inclu ..read more

FutureAg provided network opportunities for visitors. Image: Prime Creative Media Powered by leading German event Agritechnica, the expo brought the world of farming to the inner city over three days between April 17-19 at Melbourne Showgrounds. FutureAg brought a variety of businesses and ideas into the spotlight, with the expo being run in conjunction with a conference and Expert Stage. “The FutureAg team want to thank everyone that made this inaugural event happen and that we are looking forward to growing on this success next year,” the organisers say. Next year’s event is scheduled slight ..read more

Miller’s Nitro 7420 sprayer. Image: AEH Group To maximise protection of their crops, farmers across Australia rely on a top-quality sprayer. Miller’s Nitro range provides exactly that, as Agricultural Equipment Holdings Group dealers and customers from New South Wales and Victoria found during the group’s recent demonstration days. Miller Nitro sprayers are perfectly suited to farmers seeking high productivity thanks to their excellent capacity, along with a host of standard features and precision technology options to maximise daily operations. The self-propelled sprayers are packed with powe ..read more

Southern Cross University’s Hanabeth Luke and Adam Canning in a corn crop. Image: SCU Grain farmers’ perceptions of regenerative agriculture and their farming practices and goals is the focus of an online survey being led by Southern Cross University. The survey is supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation as part of its recently announced ‘Regenerative Agriculture: Understanding the intent, practices, benefits and disbenefits’ project. It is seeking 500 crop farmers from around Australia for a short online survey, with 75 farmers to be selected for a broader, three-year far ..read more

Longerenong College has upgraded its student accommodation and teaching amenities. Image: Longerenong College The Victorian government allocated $20 million to agricultural colleges Longerenong College, Marcus Oldham College and the University of Melbourne’s Dookie campus in 2020 as part of a program to help increase student accommodation capacity. Situated 14km from Horsham, Longerenong College used its portion of the funding to upgrade its student accommodation and teaching amenities, with the new facilities now open to students. The college received $6.5 million to construct student accomm ..read more

Brandt dealerships have expert knowledge to help farmers. Image: Brandt John Deere specialist Brandt has consolidated its network, encompassing all 15 of its dealerships across southern Victoria and South Australia under a single brand. This move ensures seamless access to a wide range of equipment necessary for various jobs, but Brandt’s commitment does not end with only providing equipment. Its products are backed by a dedicated support team which it describes as the hardest-working and best-equipped in the business, and which is available every single day. In addition to its extensive equip ..read more

The CST CR297 tyre. Image: CST Australian agriculture requires many specific tyres – for UTVs and 4WDs to move around the farm, for tractors to do the grunt work, and for trucks to carry and transport the end product. It is this latter category in which the newest entrant to the local tyre market aims to have an impact. CST is owned by the Cheng Shin Rubber Group, a company which hovers around the top 10 global manufacturers by sales value and which also owns the Maxxis brand popular with Australian farmers. “We are excited to launch CST into the Australian market with a range of TBR product ..read more

Turning at the end of tight rows is made easier. Image: Antonio Carraro Antonio Carraro’s philosophy has always been to provide solutions to unique challenges faced by farmers. The Italian manufacturer’s tractors might not be the enormous broadacre beasts aiming to tackle jobs requiring several hundred horsepower, but that is not what they are claiming to be. Instead, the tractors are focused on the needs of its core market – the horticulture sector – where space is tight and every centimetre counts. Antonio Carraro’s tractors meet these needs in several ways – by being low enough to fit under ..read more

Dieci’s Cotton Pro 70.10. Image: Dieci Australia Dieci’s philosophy has always been to not only provide versatile telehandlers, but also industry-specific models that suit the unique needs of certain operators. One such example lies in the Italian manufacturer’s Cotton Pro 70.10. Carrying around large bales of cotton is heavy work and requires a telehandler with grunt, which is why the Cotton Pro has a 7,000kg maximum lift capacity and a 9.65m maximum lifting height. As a 12-tonne unit, the Cotton Pro not only weighs in heavier than Dieci’s popular all-rounder, the Agri Plus 40.7, but also its ..read more

Optimism around self-propelled sprayer sales has risen, according to TMA’s latest dealer survey. Image: Hardi After overall confidence about tractor sales and turnover took a hit when the government’s instant asset write-off ended last year, TMA’s latest survey has shown signs of optimism are returning. TMA’s survey received 111 responses, with dealers from all six Australian states represented. While overall confidence remains cautious, the figures reveal dealers believe the next six months will be better. When asked what they expected the rate of new tractor sales to do during the next six m ..read more