The land use survey is an online form that uses remote sensing (satellite imagery) to capture the location of horticulture tree crops across Australia. The surveys submitted assist in the mapping of avocado, macadamia, mango and citrus orchards; olive groves and banana plantations.
The app enables the capture of ‘citizen science data’ from project partners, industry experts and citizens in a reliable and easy-to-use application. The Land Use Survey App was developed by the Queensland Land Use Mapping Program (QLUMP) as a part of Horticulture Innovation Australia’s (HIA) National Tree Project. The initiative is now led by the UNE research team from the Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre (AARSC) and is funded by Hort Innovation, in collaboration with various other universities, state and federal government agencies, private sector companies and industry.
The Land Use Survey App captures on-ground observations made by growers and the general public. The simple interface allows users to capture a location, add comments and add a photograph to assist in identifying tree crops around the country.
University of New England Land Use Survey App
Industry engagement web map
A web map interface has been created for industry experts, stakeholders and the wider public to review the draft mapping and contribute valuable comments to inform the mapping. The spatial data from these two products will greatly inform the mapping of avocado, banana, citrus, macadamia, mango and olive tree crops, especially when classifying one tree crop from another.
Data helping industry
- Australian Bushfire Rapid Response Map (January 2020)
- Growers urged to get the app to improve the map (HIA media release May 2017)
- Rapid response tool to protect Aussie farms (HIA media release November 2017)
Collaboration in action
Horticulture Innovation Australia’s (HIA) National Tree Project is an excellent example of a collaborative project involving State Government departments, Universities and industry bodies. Participating stakeholder groups are federally funded through the Rural R&D for Profit program.