Researchers from the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) are taking the idea of “try before you buy” straight to the bank to make it easier for farmers to utilise ag tech.

The $3.7 million research project – a collaboration between UniSQ, the Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales (SQNNSW) Innovation Hub, the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and Queensland Cropping Initiative – investigates how to better utilise existing and emerging ag technologies to improve drought resilience for grain farmers.

UniSQ School of Agriculture and Environmental Science lecturers Michael Scobie and Justine Baillie are leading the Changing the Game – Resilience to Seasonal Variation and Drought through Ag Tech research, which aims to validate commercially available ag tech at a full farm scale rather than small experimental plots.

“There are so many technologies out there, but a lot of farmers are a bit confused about how to best use them,” Mr Scobie said.

“We’re looking at agricultural technology and adoption with a drought mitigation focus.

“We’re not trying to invent any new technology; everything we’re trialling is something a farmer can go into the shop and buy today, or at least very soon.”

Justine Baillie said this research is trialling both software and hardware in the ag tech arena – an area that is rapidly changing and developing.

“This is a really broad area where there’s a need for continuous engagement and testing for the demonstration of what’s possible,” Ms Baillie said.

“These technologies aren’t exactly plug and play – we’re unpacking the challenges that exist there so that we can learn from them, and the farmers can use that knowledge.

“We are smoothing the on-ramp for industry and shortening the pathway to adoption.”

GRDC Grower Relations Manager (North) Rebecca Raymond said the project was developed to ensure grain growers had the latest digital tools and technology to help them prepare and adapt for droughts.

“This project was very much driven by industry, with growers keen to understand how data management, artificial intelligence and smart machinery could help improve practices on-farm to maximise rainfall efficiency, inform planting decisions and optimise crop inputs and other costs,” Mrs Raymond said.

“Using commercial demonstrations as a key part of this project, we wanted to ensure growers and agronomists could see the practical feasibility of various technology and then have the confidence to introduce these new tools to their farms.”

This article appeared in On Our Selection News, 22 August 2024.