The Warren Cauliflower Improvement Group recently hosted an informative and interactive grower information night in Manjimup, bringing together local growers and industry representatives to share insights from their recent study tour to Copenhagen.

Words Katrina Hill, Regional Development Officer, VegNET

THE VegNET funded Open Weed Locator (OWL) Project study tour delivered fresh insights and inspiration for advancing the OWL precision weed management platform and shaping a new Open Weed Library, now in concept development. These grower-led initiatives aim to support farm businesses in adopting more self-managed, accessible, and cost-effective approaches to weed control.

The evening featured discussions on how open-source AI technology is reshaping weed management and driving broader ag-tech innovation. It created a relaxed, grower-to-grower environment that encouraged participants to share ideas, explore new opportunities for their operations, ask questions, and get involved.

An interactive session, delivered as part of the Hort Innovation funded project “Exploring AI in Vegetable Production”, demonstrated how artificial intelligence is evolving into a practical on-farm tool. The session helped demystify AI for horticulture, showcasing simple ways producers can use these tools to streamline operations, automate repetitive tasks, and capture farm data more effectively.

Clinton Muller from RMCG, and Ben Finkle from the Australian Regional AI Network (ARAIN) led the session, highlighting the growing influence of generative AI systems such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and Copilot, which can create, summarise, and analyse information using natural language.

Clinton explained that the Hort Innovation supported project aims to identify practical use cases through direct consultation with growers nationwide. He also offered Western Australian growers a clear channel to share recommendations for future investments in AI across the industry.

“We’re capturing real ideas and needs from the field. This is about shaping future investment where it counts.”

Clinton Muller

Ben from ARAIN described generative AI as a ‘junior assistant’ that farmers can train and customise for their business. “You onboard it, teach it how you work, and it starts to assist with summarising reports, drafting records, or even transcribing conversations from the field”, he said. “But it still needs your guidance and context, you are the expert”.

The importance of context, data ownership, and quality interaction was reinforced throughout the presentation.

“AI doesn’t replace your intuition, it augments it. You bring the experience; AI helps you work faster” — Ben Finkle

Interactive demonstrations showcased how generative AI can simplify daily farm management through practical tools, such as preparing spray diaries for compliance, running farm simulations using local soil and irrigation data, enabling hands-free voice interaction, or even image recognition in multiple languages for on-farm troubleshooting.

Decision support systems were also shown, combining real-time weather, farm data, and business records to help growers prioritise daily actions. The message was clear; AI is moving into the living lab; the paddock, giving growers faster insights and less paperwork. Presentations drew a clear distinction between traditional farm AI (like machine-learning vision systems and variable-rate technology) and generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, which can converse, summarise, draft, plan, and translate.

Think of it as a ‘virtual intern’ that adapts to your rules and context, creating structured drafts while you stay firmly in control. Its standout benefits? Multilingual communication and fast summarisation, helping businesses operating in multiple languages turn a single recorded conversation into clear notes and concise one-page translations.

These capabilities are already helping farms streamline compliance, communication, and assisting in on farm and Business decision-making.

The OWL Project (Open Weed Locator) — The Open-source movement in Ag Tech

The night also featured an encouraging presentation from Jake Ryan and Mitchell East of the Warren Cauliflower Improvement Group. They shared their experience with the Open Weed Locator (OWL), an open-source, AI-driven spot-spraying system. OWL was developed by Dr Guy Coleman at the University of Copenhagen and featured during the recent industry study tour.

When one of their key herbicides was withdrawn from the market, Jake began exploring robotic weeders. Commercial systems cost upwards of $250,000, so the group sought a more accessible alternative. They found OWL — an open-source platform that combines a small camera and a $1,200 onboard computer to detect and spray weeds with precision.

During their Copenhagen study tour, the team learned to assemble the camera units using online accessible and free software from GitHub, supported by Dr Coleman The Warren Cauli group from WA’s South West has since built a prototype and is collaborating to develop ‘green-ongreen’ detection.

They are collecting and annotating image datasets to train the AI to distinguish weeds growing among crops, starting with brassicas but with potential to expand across a range of commodities.

With seed funding from VegNET, the Cauli Group team is developing an open source weed image library to build on Guy Coleman’s OWL platform and expand its global capabilities in Australia. This grassroots, grower-led innovation has significant potential. With continued support, it could make accessible, affordable ag tech a reality for more farm businesses.

Mitch added, “If you can fix a pump, you can build one of these. You don’t need to be a tech expert”.

The group aims to deliver an adaptable, grower-owned solution costing under $50,000 for all components and the spray rig manifold, a fraction of the price of commercial alternatives.

Insights from Denmark: Lessons for Australia’s Agtech Future

Discussion panellists

The evening wrapped up with a panel discussion exploring how to make AI and Agtech practical, accessible, and grower-led, drawing on insights from the recent study tour to Denmark.

The standout feature of Denmark’s farming system was its remarkable efficiency. Every square meter of farmland is used productively, often with multiple crops grown side by side. High levels of mechanisation, strong government support, and consumer-driven demand for organic produce have shaped a farming system that is both innovative and sustainable. In fact, up to half of some Danish crops are now organic, reflecting a national commitment to low chemical inputs and environmentally conscious production.

By contrast, Australia’s vast landscapes and market-driven approach present a different reality. Our farmers are independent innovators, adopting new technology when it clearly saves time, reduces labour, or integrates smoothly with existing practices. While Denmark’s model thrives on subsidies and close regulatory alignment, Australian agriculture depends on scalability, cost-effectiveness, and proven on-farm value.

Despite these differences, the parallels are striking. Both countries share a deep commitment to continuous improvement, efficiency, and sustainability. The Danish OWL project, an open-source, shared-data platform for precision agriculture, resonated strongly with the panel as a model for collaborative innovation. Such an approach could accelerate technology adoption in Australia, helping growers optimise inputs, reduce herbicide reliance, and unlock new efficiencies through shared insights.

The discussion concluded with a clear message: Australia shouldn’t seek to replicate Denmark’s model but to adapt its principles. By maximising land use, embracing data-driven collaboration, and responding to evolving consumer expectations, Australian agriculture can chart its own path — one that combines global inspiration with local innovation.

The Manjimup event reinforced that innovation doesn’t always mean complexity or high cost. Whether through low-cost AI tools or DIY weed detection, growers are proving that the best agricultural technology can remain in the hands of the people who will directly use it and benefit from it.