WAGROWER_Spring_FINAL_25_LR (1).pdf

AT the centre of the project is the OWL camera system, developed to detect and manage weeds in vegetable crops using AI-powered “green-on-green” and “green-on-brown” spot spraying algorithms. By addressing both environmental sustainability and cost accessibility, the project is designed to help growers reduce herbicide use, cut input costs, and make precision agriculture more accessible, affordable and achievable on-farm, without the barriers of patents or the high costs associated with commercialised products. One of the key features of the OWL Project is its practical, hands-on approach to grower engagement and technology adoption. With leadership from inventor Guy Coleman, Manjimup growers from the Warren Cauliflower Improvement Group recently participated in an international industry tour, visiting the open-source technology hub at Copenhagen University in Denmark. This was followed by a series of local precision weed management and open-source focused workshops, farm and field demonstrations in the use of AI weed detection and spraying technology, including guided regional farm visits that are utilising the technology in mixed vegetable, grains, onions and spinach.

The event brought together researchers, growers from both Denmark and Australia, ag-tech innovators and industry experts to explore the potential of open-source technologies in advancing precision agriculture globally and showcasing some of the technology available. The field day began with a series of presentations highlighting the growing role of open-source tools in farming. Guy Coleman from the University of Copenhagen introduced the open-source movement in agriculture, followed by Patrick Coleman from Pemberton.digital, who explored the practical applications of open hardware in

ag-tech. Contributions from Frederik Larsen of Agrovi and Australian grower Jake Ryan provided valuable agronomic and farmer perspectives on the adoption of tools like the OWL system in real-world vegetable production. The program also featured insights into various autonomous cutting-edge precision technologies, with speakers presenting on collaborative projects such as OneCropHealth (OCH), satellite-based predictive systems from Geco Engineering, drone solutions by CropUp, tractor-based innovations from PerPlant, and precision implements from EcoRobotix. A mapping demonstration by RoboWeedMaps further showcased the integration of data for weed management and methods of collecting datasets via drones. In the afternoon, attendees participated in hands-on field demonstrations. Technologies including the OWL system and a DIY spot-spraying setup with a 12 metre boom were displayed alongside commercial sprayers, open-source solutions and other higher-cost technologies from PerPlant, EcoRobotix, CropUp and RoboWeedMaps. The demonstrations provided a tangible look at how open-source and precision technologies can be applied directly on-farm, reinforcing the field day workshops and the central focus of the industry tour, the theme of accessible, farmer-led innovation in weed control and crop management. A full-day OWL workshop was delivered by Guy Coleman, guiding growers to assemble their own OWL camera units using Raspberry Pi-based hardware and learn to train AI models on weed image datasets. These sessions provided foundational skills in building the camera units, coding and deploying the technology for real-world weed detection and control, with growers commenting on how easy it is to assemble with guidance from the OWL Project and accessible information via GitHub and YouTube tutorials. The OWL Project group in Manjimup, led by Jake Ryan, is pioneering a 16-channel platform initially targeting brassica crops, for example cabbage, and planning farm field demonstrations and a podcast to come once the units are fine-tuned and can be shared with other growers. OWL is laying the groundwork for broader application across regions and crop types, setting a benchmark for sustainable, inclusive and farmer-driven ag-tech solutions.

The OWL Project’s next phase focuses on establishing an open-source, publicly accessible Weed Image Library, creating a shared resource that growers, researchers and developers across Australia can contribute to and benefit from. With three core pillars, industry study tours, hands-on hardware workshops and the weed image datasets, the OWL Project has evolved into a scalable platform for grassroots innovation. Are you interested in the OWL Project, accessing the open-source hubs or virtually attending the field day? Please find links below and contact VegNET WA to learn how you can get involved in future extension activities of the Southwest project and find out more. The project extends opportunities for other growers to join the movement and get involved.

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Wednesday 22 October 2025