A new technology promises to give growers pinpoint accuracy when applying fertiliser, which could bring down costs, increase efficiencies and enable better decisions within tight seasonal windows.  

Hort Innovation, the not-for-profit, grower-owned research and development corporation for Australia’s $18.4 billion horticulture industry, has invested in TerraBlaster, a start-up developing in-field soil sensing technology.  

The system uses a laser-based sensor to measure soil properties directly in the paddock while equipment is operating, then turn that information into maps that show where fertiliser may or may not be needed.  

With fertiliser being one of the biggest and most variable input costs for many Australian horticulture growers, tools to maximise its impact were worth exploring Hort Innovation General Manager of Production & Sustainability R&D Anthony Kachenko said.  

“We’re all about investing in ways to make a positive impact for growers, and TerraBlaster could deliver significant savings for growers,” Mr Kachenko said.  

“Growers need timely, actionable information to make confident decisions, and this technology provides up to 16 times greater detail for fertiliser application than typical grid sampling and delivers results within seconds, helping growers respond faster.

“We think this could become a practical soil data and precision nutrition tool used alongside farm equipment, agronomy advice and input planning.” 

The investment was made by Hort Innovation Frontiers, which helps bring promising tools closer to Australian growers by supporting validation, adaptation and commercial pathways. TerraBlaster aligns with the Hort Innovation Frontiers themes of disruptive technologies and, adoption and resilience because it turns advanced sensing into a practical farm tool. Its potential value is not just the technology itself, but whether it can fit into normal field operations and help growers make better fertiliser decisions within tight seasonal windows.