In less than 250 years, Australian agriculture has come a long way from its humble beginnings.The British colonisation and European settlement in Australia saw the beginning of modern Australian agriculture.

1. Developments in
Australian Agriculture:
A Historical Perspective
K-Line Agriculture

2. In less than 250 years, Australian agriculture has come a long way from its humble
beginnings.The British colonisation and European settlement in Australia saw the
beginning of modern Australian agriculture.
It was in January 1788 when the ‘first fleet’ arrived from England. This colony
brought Australia its first set of livestock that consisted of a variety of farm animals
such as horses, cattle, sheep and more. It took only two years after this landing
that the first Australian wheat farm was developed at Rose Hill, which is now
present-day Parramatta.
More and more innovations were developed to establish Australian farming on a
larger scale. Tools, chemicals and machinery were produced to increase crop
cultivation and to speed up thefarming processes.
Developing Australian Agriculture
The introduction of herbicides was one innovation that changed Australian farming.
During the 1800s, farmers had to repeatedly plough the soil to kill the weeds dueto
these weeds re-emerging every time it rained. However, with the use of herbicides,
farmers could effectively target specific weeds with minimal environmental impact.

3. During the 1980s, the evolution of more efficient machinery allowed farmers to
manage their fields through precision agriculture. This introduced controlled traffic,
zone management and in-crop sensing to improve the sustainability of farming
systems.
Currently, technological advancements are developing new farming innovations that
increase productivity for farmers. For instance, tractors have been installed with
colour sensing monitors that can identify how green the crop is and adjust the
amount of fertiliser as a tractor passes over a crop.
Advanced Farming Processes
By 2050, there will be an additional 2.3 to 2.4 billion (70%) more people on Earth,
who will need at least 60 to 70 % more food than what is currently available. The
agricultural sector has to develop more means of speeding up the processes of their
harvest and farming practices.

4. In order to address the need for more efficient farming methods, some Australian
agricultural companies are offering heavy farm machinery that combines three
processes in one. Indeed, innovative farm machinery allows faster, easier and more
accurate farm processes that can supply more food for the growing population.
Sources:
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/1301.0~2012~M
ain%20Features~Farming%20in%20Australia~207
http://theconversation.com/from-dust-bowls-to-food-bowls-australias-conservation-
farming-revolution-6020
http://www.k-line.net.au/
http://www.rirdc.gov.au/news/2015/08/14/new-trends-research-predicts-mega-
opportunities-for-australian-agriculture-as-world-grows-hungrier-wealthier-with-
fussier-consumers-by-2035