In the second of a two-part panel series with the Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, Oli Le Lievre sits down with St George producers Jake Moon of Moonrocks and cotton grower Craig Saunders to explore how innovation is being used to solve real problems within two very different farming businesses.
Jake shares how Moonrocks identified labour and weed management as a growing constraint before adopting an AI-powered green-on-green sprayer, while Craig reflects on how the pursuit of growing more cotton with less water led him to rethink irrigation and develop automation for bankless systems.
This conversation is not about promoting a particular product. It is about what happens before and after a technology is adopted: identifying a problem, researching potential solutions, working through the economics and building the people, systems and processes needed to make it work.
Jake and Craig discuss the importance of measuring performance, understanding return on investment and being willing to challenge the way things have always been done. They also share the limitations, frustrations and unanswered questions that remain, from integrating data across a business to deciding which investment should come next.
From robotics and irrigation automation to labour, software, profitability and long-term planning, this is a practical conversation about using innovation to build more productive, adaptable and drought-resilient farming businesses.
The Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub is supported by funding from the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund. Learn more at www.unisq.edu.au/sqnnswhub.
Key insights from the conversation:
- Why Jake and Craig began looking for new ways to solve labour, water and productivity challenges.
- How Craig’s pursuit of “more profit per drop” led to the automation of bankless irrigation.
- How robotics is helping Moonrocks reduce manual weeding, lower herbicide use and improve crop performance.
- Why measuring water use, labour, inputs and yield is essential when assessing new technology.
- The importance of matching innovation with a clearly defined business problem.
- Why successful adoption depends on people, processes and simple, reliable systems - not just the technology itself.
- How farmers can assess return on investment without chasing every new product or efficiency.
- The role of data, software and connected systems in improving decision-making.
- The value of learning from other farmers, industries and international businesses.
- The practical challenges of adopting technology, including cost, integration, support and uncertainty.
- Why profitability is central to long-term sustainability and drought resilience.
- How innovation can shift farm roles away from repetitive manual work and toward higher-skilled decision-making.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Craig Saunders' farm and innovation focus
01:50 Historical context of farming equipment and evolution
03:52 The rapid pace of agricultural change and innovation
06:53 Craig Saunders' farm history and diversification
10:06 Water management challenges and technological solutions
15:01 Adopting bankless irrigation and automation
20:06 Jake Moon's farm history and crop diversification
24:57 Use of AI-powered sprayers and weed management
30:11 The impact of technology on crop health and yields
34:48 Decision-making processes and data leverage in farming
40:00 The role of grants, strategic planning, and future opportunities
45:11 Lessons learned from travel and industry networks
50:10 The importance of continuous evolution and innovation in agriculture
55:04 Future prospects: local manufacturing, AI, and robotics
57:52 Final thoughts on the future of agriculture and technology
