The application of digital tools for knowledge sharing in agriculture: A longitudinal case study from four Australian grower groups

• The application of digital tools for knowledge and information sharing in agriculture is not well understood. • Research examined how staff at grower groups perceive the use of digital tools for information sharing. • Evidence reveals widespread use of digital tools that are monitored closely, and continuously refined. • The findings inform a set of guidelines for digital engagement for the agriculture sector. Digital tools and platforms are universally used, however their application for knowledge and information sharing in agriculture is less understood. In Australia, grower groups (also known farming systems groups) are integral to information dissemination with farmers, and other industry stakeholders. Research was conducted to investigate the use of digital tools for knowledge and information sharing by staff at grower groups by examining their perceptions about the implementation, intended audience, impact monitoring, and the facilitators and barriers associated with using digital tools. This case study involved semi-structured, in-depth interviews at three time points with staff at four grower groups located in four states in Australia to understand their perceptions about using digital tools for knowledge and information sharing with different industry audiences. The findings demonstrate that grower groups are embracing digital technologies: they are applying digital tools broadly and monitoring their uptake closely for the dissemination of industry-specific knowledge and information sharing. Groups were found to be utilising multiple, digital tools and adopting a range of approaches that are regularly monitored for impact, while continuously refining the use of digital tools over time. Despite the broad adoption of digital tools, various challenges were identified, including low audience uptake with some digital methods, limited staffing capacity and expertise to implement digital tools, poor digital infrastructure and unreliable connectivity in remote regions. A set of guidelines to support the application of digital tools for engagement within the agriculture sector have been developed, informed by this research. They include the provisioning of activities for digital engagement for planning, audience engagement, content assessment, piloting and reviewing, and establishing communities of practice for shared learnings. This research provides important insights about the application of digital tools for knowledge and information sharing with stakeholders in the Australian grains industry, by grower groups. This case study highlights the overwhelming commitment of grower groups to adopt digital tools for sharing knowledge to a wide and varied audience. The adoption of digital tools was ubiquitous by grower groups however their application represents just one component of a broader strategy of information sharing that also incorporates non-digital approaches (paper-based; face-to-face) to meet the information delivery preferences of stakeholders.