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As Australia’s dry spell drags on, the Federal Government has been providing grants to drought-affected regions, especially those considered to be agricultural areas.
In October, the Federal Government announced that it will be giving Macquarie University and the University of Queensland (UQ) $35m each to support research related to agriculture.
Macquarie University will house the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology while UQ will be hosting the ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture.
Opening the $5m ARC Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture at La Trobe University recently, Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said the centre will be used to “develop a profitable and sustainable industry that provides jobs and leads to better health outcomes.”
"Research conducted here will assist primary producers and manufacturers to use the latest technologies to optimise their production as well as help train the specialised workforce needed to underpin Australia’s developing medicinal agriculture industry,” Minister Tehan said.
"Our Government is funding research that fosters collaboration between Australian universities and industry to deliver outcomes that benefit everyone."
Through the Centre, La Trobe University will also be collaborating with nine other participating organisations which will provide $19.7m in funding.
Trickling down knowledge
But just getting universities involved in research and technological advancements in agriculture isn’t enough, according to some experts.
In a bid to inspire future researchers, CQ University has reached out to local high schools to help spread the knowledge.
Dr Chengyuan Stephen Xu, a Horticultural Farming Systems research fellow, led a team which worked with Bundaberg Christian College ad St Luke’s Anglican School to expose its students to the best practices and innovations in the field of agriculture.
“The agriculture industry is changing, and it will continue to evolve with the advancement of technological practices,” Dr Xu said.
“We are working to increase Bundaberg community engagement in scientific activities and participation in STEM subjects and this collaboration was a perfect way to do so.”
Through the project, the CQ University researchers guided high school students not only through master classes on maths applications in agriculture, but also in hands-on activities like assembling greenhouse cruising robot with sensors, drone aerial mapping, and cropping field trials.
“We strive to provide a stimulating learning environment for our students, where they are engaged to be curious, creative and independent problem-solvers,” Matthew Hughes, who serves as the Head of learning and Innovation at St Luke’s Anglican School, said.
“This project with CQUniversity has given our students real-world experience working alongside innovators who are solving real problems for agricultural business.”