Australia's first protected cropping map has been launched allowing the horticulture sector to better forecast yields, manage logistics and respond to natural disasters and biosecurity threats.
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The interactive dashboard allows users to explore the location and area of about 14,000 hectares of glasshouses, commercial nets, polytunnels and shadehouses, including all commercial greenhouses and nets, which are used to grow crops such as tomatoes, berries, and leafy greens.
The mapping project was delivered through Hort Innovation and led by the University of New England's (UNE) Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre (AARSC) in collaboration with Protected Cropping Australia and NSW Local Land Services, and supported by Future Food Systems CRC.
The project found NSW to have the highest proportion of permanent nets (3005 ha), while South Australia boasts more than half of the country's polyhouses (1103 ha). In total, it identified 13,932 hectares of protected cropping structures nationwide- a number that exceeds previous industry estimates by 30 per cent.
Hort Innovation chief executive officer Brett Fifield said the map is a vital tool for the sector.
"This information will allow the protected cropping sector to better understand industry demographics and will serve as an essential tool for improved biosecurity preparedness and natural disaster response and recovery," he said.
Director of AARSC, Professor Andrew Robson, says the new resource will fill a significant knowledge gap faced by the industry.
"The map is a fundamental dataset supporting decision-making at multiple scales," he says.
"At national and regional level, the map is informing strategic decision-making for industry, including new developments and market analysis for labour and transport logistics.
"At local level, the map supports growers as a collective, as knowing where crops are located is vital for an improved response to biosecurity incursions and the coordination of on-ground surveillance. It's also necessary for quantifying area of structures affected following a natural disaster."
Led by AARSC's Craig Shephard, the research team primarily applied remote sensing analytics, including satellite imagery to map the location and extent of the country's protected cropping facilities, along with extensive industry engagement and field validation.
"Having this data on hand is invaluable in situations such as the recent varroa mite biosecurity outbreak in NSW," says Mr Shephard.
"We were able to leverage the PCS map to create the Varroa Mite Rapid Response Map, which is an interactive application that reports the total area of impacted structures within the eradication and surveillance zones.
"Through knowing this data, the industry has been able to accurately quantify impacts and prioritise response to affected growers, minimising impact on the supply chain."
To ensure the data remains accurate, the map will be updated periodically, and industry will be engaged using location-based tools built by AARSC.
