Tripod Farmers is a fourth-generation family farm in Bacchus Marsh pioneering new technology frontiers in agriculture. We’re talking about an AI-powered LaserWeeder that’s solving one of their biggest challenges – removing pest plants in a cost effective, environmentally friendly way. They are currently one of only two farms in Australia who own one and they’re amazed by the benefits it’s delivering.
Production Manager, Frank Ruffo, said they invested in this technology in January 2024, and it was a big decision because it’s a significant financial commitment.
“My mum Angela, a company director, first identified the LaserWeeder and we realised it could be a total game-changer for us,” he said.
“I travelled over to America last year to speak with Carbon Robotics, the company behind this technology, to see it in action on farms Stateside. It’s fair to say I was very impressed.”
The LaserWeeder unit attaches to the back of a tractor and combines AI deep learning, computer vision, robotics and lasers to eliminate weeds with pin-point precision.
Tripod Farmers’ unit has 15 cameras and 30 lasers, and the AI technology allows it to know and continually learn how to differentiate between crops and weeds.
When it finds a weed, the laser beam zaps it with sub-millimetre accuracy. Frank says the accuracy is amazing given how many weeds look like crops and how closely they often grow together.
“Shepherd’s purse is a weed that looks remarkably like rocket and the LaserWeeder easily targets it and avoids harming the crop. You’ve got to see it to believe it,” he said.
The LaserWeeder has a Starlink connection that provides the high-speed internet connectivity and unlimited data needed to handle the huge amounts of information being processed. This allows the Tripod team to use the software and speak to the US support team, in real time, who can make changes to the AI and optimise the machine further.
Back on Frank’s farm, the operator in the tractor looks very relaxed despite overseeing a multi-million-dollar piece of kit.
Frank says he’d comfortable too because they’ve trained up key members of the team to use the LaserWeeder and have a service professional nearby who can repair any issues with it.
He’s more excited about the long-term benefits it’s delivering.
“Once the weed has been zapped it just decomposes and becomes nutrients for the crop,” he said.
“This is a real win for the environment and our business because we’ve significantly reduced herbicide and fertiliser use and spending much less on them.”
In this brave new world, many think we’re heading towards a human-free future. Not Frank, he says they will always need people.
“We employ 90 full-time workers and around 100 seasonal workers. Without these hands-on workers, we wouldn’t be able to get our produce to market,” he said.
“The reality is farming is very competitive and technology can help us find efficiencies that allow us to stay in business. It’s about finding the right balance of people and tech.”
While the shiny new toy commands attention, Frank said they haven’t taken their eyes off another critical business asset … water.
“We’ve set up an irrigation system that allows us to get water to where it’s needed efficiently and precisely control the amount we give to our crops. And minimal tillage helps us retain the structure and moisture in the soil,” he said.
“We’re usually flat-chat irrigating in summer and our great relationship with Southern Rural Water means we’re talking regularly and working together to pump water into our dams,” he said.
The drought event that impacted Bacchus Marsh from 2006 to 2010 brought into sharp relief the importance of water and led Tripod Farmers to buy a property in Boisdale.
The weather at the two sites is different and the Boisdale property has got great water security. And with a hotter, drier future predicted, it’s a savvy investment that’s helping Tripod Farmers spread the risk of future droughts.
Uncertainty doesn’t seem to faze Frank, who sees climate change as an opportunity to innovate and do things much better than we did in the past.
“AI is still in its infancy and it’s helping us solve huge challenges. Imagine what it could help us do in a few years,” he said
In a world of negative headlines, Frank is a tonic whose intelligence and optimism about technology, humanity and horticulture is as nourishing as his leafy greens.