John Deere’s GPS technology and AutoTrac technology help Australian citrus, almond and asparagus grower to improve its business
The Minter family has been growing produce in Mildura for five generations, and has adopted new products and new technology to retain a competitive edge for its Minter Magic brand.
The brand was started when the English great-grandfather of Darren Minter settled in Iraak, on the Murray River 35km southeast of Mildura, in 1912.
At one point, the Minter family farmed more than 350ha of asparagus, but a tough domestic market saw a switch to citrus and almonds, which now covers more than 400ha. Darren’s son Garry keeps the family’s asparagus legacy, continuing with 12ha of production.
Minter Magic’s almond and citrus products are exported to more than 30 countries worldwide, competing with other global producers who are, at times, government-subsidised. This has driven the Minters to consistently adopt new technology to maintain a foothold in overseas markets.
“Australia is one of the most expensive countries in the world for labour, water, and power costs, so we need every edge we can get, because we’re competing with other producers worldwide,” Darren said.
“We are leading the world in irrigation and technologies such as what John Deere is bringing out. We’re getting the best, biggest crops and fruit we can possibly get to survive in our harsh conditions and harsh economic circumstances.”
While tractors have been a key part of operations, Darren Winter said the introduction of John Deere’s GPS technology and AutoTrac – which they initially used to mark out asparagus rows some years ago – has been a game-changer.
“We’re now getting the guys to use it in spraying because they find they don’t have to concentrate so much on driving,” Darren Winter said.
“They can actually look around and check to make sure the sprayer is working without worrying about where they’re going. So that sort of technology is always moving forward.”
Garry Winter has taken a strong interest in keeping up with the latest John Deere technology to build efficiencies into their business.
“We saw how easy the original GPS systems was and what a difference it made, so we decided to take on RTK and StarFire and the local dealership showed me how to set it up and calibrate it,” Garry Winter said.
“Now we have two tractors fitted with AutoTrac and the StarFire system that we alternate depending on the job. They give us a 2.5cm accuracy for operations like planting and harvesting.
“We’ve also used GPS for our latest orchard, to mark the spot where each almond tree should be planted in a uniform grid that will also help with ease of spraying later.”
Garry Winter said the adoption of John Deere’s Smart Apply Intelligent Spray Control System on 200 ha of new almond trees three years ago has also made a difference to productivity and operational costs.
The technology uses LiDAR, a remote sensing technology that pulsates laser light as the sprayer moves through the rows of trees. This creates a digital blueprint of the canopy that is transmitted to spray nozzles, enabling chemicals to be applied only where necessary.
As the family enterprise continues to meet global challenges, there’s one advancement Darren Winter is most excited about, and that’s automation.
“The next technology we do need is these self-drive tractors. That’s what I’m waiting for,” he said.
