This document outlines an emerging technology leadership program for the SCF team. It discusses exploring robotics, sensors, data, and blockchain technologies in horticulture. The program aims to build leadership skills through workshops, webinars, coaching, and online courses over 1-3 years. Emerging technologies discussed include sensors to monitor various variables, robots for tasks like spraying and harvesting, and blockchain to improve supply chain transparency and reduce costs. The program seeks to prepare participants for how these technologies could impact SCF's business operations and strategies.

1. Emerging Tech Trends
in Horticulture
SCF Leadership Program
Webinar #1
Russell Cummings
February 2018

2. Agenda
• Outline of the SCF Leadership Program
• Explore emerging technology in Horticulture
• Robotics
• Sensors
• Data
• Blockchain
• Next Steps

3. Outline of the Program
SCF Leadership Program

4. Purpose
• To build leadership and management capability
in the SCF Team
• To build cohesion and teamwork within SCF
• To drive the implementation of change across
the business

5. How are we going to start
this process?
By:
• Giving you access to leading edge business and
leadership training and tools
• Providing frameworks for you to integrate the
tools and concepts into your daily routine
• Ensuring that you have access to appropriate
support mechanisms to improve your uptake and
utilization of tools and processes
• Providing access to the program for Managers and
Rising Stars

6. What are we going to be
doing over the next year?
• 2 x 2-day Applied Training Workshops
• 5 – 6 SCF Webinars plus access to others
• Regular 1-on-1 Coaching – phone and online
• Access to the Mindshop Resource Centre
• Complete online Training Courses 2-3 per annum
• Working on Projects that drop out of our planning and
training
Workshops
Webinars &
Group
Coaching
1-on-1
Coaching
Online
Training
Online
Coaching

7. On-line Training
SCF Leaders
The Program will involve training in the following 10 Mindshop
Courses over a 2-3 year period:
1. Problem Solving and Decision Making
2. Change Success
3. Strategic Planning
4. Coaching and Developing our People
5. Leadership Development
6. Personal Growth
7. Profit Improvement
8. Lean Management
9. Self Confidence
10. Project Teams

8. On-line Training
SCF Rising Stars
The Program will involve training in the
following 4 Mindshop Courses over a 1 year
period:
1. Problem Solving and Decision Making
2. Personal Growth
3. Lean Management
4. Self Confidence

9. What will we require from you?
• A willingness to participate and get involved
• Attendance and engagement at the 2-day Workshops
• A commitment to complete the online training and to attend your
coaching calls with Russ

10. Questions?

11. Emerging Tech Trends
in Horticulture

12. Business Environment is changing
• More competition – global
• Falling numbers of skilled and semi-skilled people
• Changing work habits and expectations
• Increasing safety and OHS responsibilities for business
• Tech has reached a change point – cloud, mobile internet, AI, sensors

13. The pace of
change is
increasing
• Companies looking to bring a commercial robot to Agriculture
• 2014 – 2
• 2015 – 27
• 2017 – 220+
• John Deere acquires Blue River Technology for US$306M
• All major corporations are investing large amounts of money
• IBM has invested heavily in blockchain technologies

14. Emerging
Tech
Sensors Robots
Blockchain Energy

15. Sensors
• Vast array of sensors to measure
variables
• Deployed on satelites, stations,
vehicles, drones, equipment & robots
• Integrated technologies – cloud,
Internet of things
• Linked array of sensors – Sense-T
• Use RFID, GPS and comms tech
• Combined with Artificial Intelligence
(”AI”) this can be very powerful
• Data analysis is critical

16. What are sensors
measuring?
• Weather, climate, micro-climates
• Water quality, volume, flow
• Tree health, soil health, canopy
cover, vegetative growth
• Fruit size, quality, colour, volume
• Weed density and type
• Fruit, machinery and people
movements

17. Robots
Exo-skeletons Toolbars not tractors
Single PurposeLabour Saving

18. How will we use
this tech?
• Intelligent spray systems – weed control
• Intelligent fertilizer and pest systems
• Intelligent irrigation and crop watering
• autonomous inter-row cultivation
• Harvest, pruning and thinning robots
• Packhouse robots
• Transit tracking systems
• Lifting systems – robots, exo-skeletons
• Dangerous, toxic or unsafe tasks

19. How do you see that this tech will
impact SCF?

20. Scan
Select
Analyse
Augment
Interconnectivity

21. Blockchain
I give up – what is it?

22. Blockchain
• Definition: “a digital ledger in which transactions made in bitcoin or
another cryptocurrency are recorded chronologically and publicly”
Source: Dictionary.com
• Big “smart” accounting ledger – stored in 5,000+ locations
• Records data and triggers actions based on predetermined contracts
only when 50% plus 1 locations agree
• Leverages digital currency e.g. Bitcoin to have fast financial
transactions at low cost
• Records are immutable and nearly impossible to hack

23. How will blockchain work in Ag?
• Major banks and food companies all have blockchain teams
• Looking to strip costs from the supply chain
• Seeking to use it to secure provenance of food products
• Its coming whether you like it or not!

24. EXAMPLE HORTICULTURE BLOCKCHAIN
OUTPUTSBLOCKCHAININPUTS
GROW PACK DOMESTIC TRANSPORT SHIP CUSTOMER
Spray &
Fertiliser
Data
Pick Date Packed
Export
Inspection
Loaded on
ship
In
container
Data Log
Container
received
by
Customer
Upstream
Customer
Checks
Barcodes
PROCESS
Variety
Block
No.
Harvest Date
Pack Date
Container No.
Pallet No.
Certification
Details
FOB Date
Temp
Humidity
Container
Received
File Complete
Fruit
Sticker
Barcode
printed
Export
document
s issued
Invoice
issued &
paid
Final
Payment
Full history
&
Provenance

25. Blockchain – Next Steps
• Blockchain will driven by upstream players but we will
need to be ready for it
• Your thoughts?

26. Power
Changing face of business

27. The rationale
for changing
• Costs are increasing
• Irrigated agriculture are high users of power – seasonal
• Power tech is increasing in efficiency and decreasing in
cost
• Game changer is the falling cost of battery storage
• Australia is well-positioned to optimize the use of solar
• Solar locks in the cost of energy for 20 years
• Game is more about power management and the
integration of different power and storage sources to
reduce cost

28. How will it work?
• Voltage regulation tech – reduce cost per KWh
• Solar generation plus batteries/diesel generators – lock in cost per KWh
• Direct drive tech for irrigation pumps enables effective use of alternative
power – localized solar and batteries
• Electric vehicles, tractors, quad bikes, farm bikes, robots – optimize use
of stored power at lower operating and maintenance costs.
• Micro Power Grids – supply your own power to yourself and neighbours
THIS TECH IS COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE NOW!

29. Can we take advantage of this now?

31. Thank You
Russell Cummings
Business Consultant
M: 0414 929 585
W: www.shifft.com.au
E: russell@shifft.com.au