Consider growing Youlk,  with its crisp apple-like texture, golden potato colour and hints of carrot and sweet eucalypt flavour, it makes a tasty ingredient for salads, stews, pies, gratin, cakes and other dishes — or simply roasted, baked or fried with a little butter and salt. Well adapted to the WA environment, this plant can thrive under dry conditions in nutrient-poor, sandy soils. However, for best results in a backyard garden, grow your Youlk in full sun or part shade, in loamy soil, and water generously during Summer. To learn more about Youlk and other bushfoods go to www.tuckerbush.com.au

Another Australian agtech company SmartShepherd has just been named #225  in the world's top 500 agritechnologies enabling livestock breeders to collect maternal pedigree quickly and cost effectively. Maternal pedigree is the key to unlocking the genetic potential of a farmer’s herd or flock, significant productivity gains can be achieved by tracking which animals produce profitable offspring. Additionally, there are numerous animal welfare issues that can only be addressed by knowing an animal’s mothering ability. SmartShepherd works with any grazing livestock, including sheep, cattle and goats.

Farmers and researchers working together take an idea and turn it into commercial benefit.  CSIRO research geneticist Dr Greg Rebetzke demonstrates the development of short-season (100 to 120-day) wheat in a response to growers' need for more options in the face of a changing climate. The idea is that by getting the right genetics into the pre-breeding program; genetics for improved vigour, better weed competitiveness, reduced soil evaporation and faster growth, all combine to reduce a five-to-six-month crop duration down to three or four months.  For more information see GRDC's website www.grdc.com.au

Building trusted global networks for sharing data is a hot topic.  Ireland is sharing biodiversity data through its National Biodiversity Data Centre tracking protected, endangered and invasive species.  In Australia, the Atlas of Living Australia is available for use.  At a time when it is suggested that only 30% of all insects are known, imagine the possibilities for food producers, citizen scientists and our communities to build banks of important biodiversity data to share.

ICT International is a research and scientific instrumentation company located in rural Australia exporting sap flow meters to the world.  This Sap Flow Meter can directly measure amounts and patterns of water use in real-time to deliver data for planning water use and showing behaviour. With data to show how trees behave collectively, called 'Hydraulic Redistribution' whereby water flows both up, down and horizontally.  This dynamic and collective behaviour of trees brings new ways of understanding and managing precious forests. www.ictinternational.com.au