61 results for Research

More than 2300 agrifood businesses, technology giants, startups, corporates, research institutions and investors gathered in San Francisco in March for the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit – and AgriFutures grow^AG.  was on the ground to make new connections, David Lord, Manager Engagement, grow^AG., reflects on the experience and what it means for the Australian agritech sector. 

A new on-site rapid water testing device designed to facilitate real-time decision making for better health and nutrition outcomes across Australian pig farms is ready for commercialisation. The Australasian Pork Research Institute Ltd, Hone and Ridley are seeking partners testing high volumes of water samples, to support the commercialisation of the product, now listed as an opportunity on grow^AG..

Blue sky thinking by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation and the University of Western Sydney has uncovered a promising new plant-based compound for combatting common insect pests in cotton, horticulture and broadacre crops. A rare opportunity now exists for a commercial partner to further develop the early-stage biological pesticide with global market potential. Expressions of Interest close Sunday, 31 July 2022. 

Australian grain growers are set to profit from a multi-million-dollar global investment in machine learning, led by Grains Research Development Corporation (GRDC). Here we explore nine use-cases designed to boost value in the paddock.   Some already have commercial sector involvement in place but for others GRDC will seek deployment through commercial avenues using platforms like grow^AG..

A coalition of research, government and industry partners is working to bring invasive sea urchins under control in Tasmania, with a mix of biological and market solutions. 

The Shortspined Sea Urchin (Heliocidaris erythrogramma) occurs naturally in Tasmanian waters and exists in harmony with the local ecosystem. However, the Longspined Sea Urchin is an unwelcome visitor, and a badly behaved one at that.  

Rapid growth in the global demand for protein to feed the world’s burgeoning population is driving a bid to establish a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Alternate Proteins in Australia. The opportunity exists for additional partners to join the bid and partner to develop solutions to enhance value, develop new protein production systems, new protein foods and ingredients, functionality, sustainability and capacity of this rapidly expanding sector.

As the largest agricultural research and development organisation in the world, Bayer Crop Science is at the forefront of innovation. Phil Taylor, the Director of Open Innovation and Outreach for Bayer Crop Science delves into their approach to unlocking ‘cool innovation’ and how grow^AG. is helping to harness these novel solutions that will benefit growers around the world, including Australia.

AMPC’s investment into South Australian innovation partner MEQ Probe is one step closer to paying dividends for the red meat industry.

The processing sector’s research and development corporation has been providing innovation funding support to MEQ Probe for the past two years with a view to developing a potentially revolutionary tool for measuring eating quality characteristics in hot carcases for both lamb and beef.

Without pesticides the world could lose up to 50% of key food and fibre crops, devastating global supply. Through work undertaken by Dr Robert Mensah of NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI), in collaboration with the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC), effective biological control options for insect pests in cotton have been demonstrated and they are now seeking partners to commercialise these innovative solutions.

The recent New England Field Day was converted from an in-person, on-site experience to an online event featuring the 2018 drop and 2017 drop MLP ewes. A launch webinar and website showcasing sire progeny inspection videos and results, along with a site seasonal overview and associated Merino Lifetime Productivity (MLP) and New England research updates, will now be available online for the life of the MLP project

Every strawberry season, researchers from the Australian Strawberry Breeding Program trial, taste and assess thousands of new varieties of strawberry developed through natural breeding to identify the best tasting and yielding fruit for Australia.

Funded by Hort Innovation in partnership with the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, the program supports the Australian strawberry industry by giving them access to improved, locally adapted superior varieties.   

Forest growers can now easily and affordably assess wood quality across their resource, while also making decisions around location and management that will best serve the quality of their stands going forward.

Scientists behind a new research project say the ability to predict, maintain and improve timber quality in plantations will help decrease risk and improve the productivity, competitiveness and profitability of Australia’s growers and processors.

Are you gearing up for AgriFutures evoke^AG. 2024 and looking to forge high-value partnerships? Let us introduce you to some of the delegate organisations who will be heading to Perth on 20-21 February 2024 – and explore the world leading research, technologies, and commercialisation opportunities they’re currently offering. And where will you find these opportunities? Right here on AgriFutures grow^AG. 

An integrated online agritech tool, WaterCan Profit is helping Australian grain growers navigate the road to maximum profitability by answering the “what ifs” using economic and climactic factors to calculate the most successful on-farm outcome. The Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture and Grains Research and Development Corporation are now seeking partners to help host and commercialise this analysis platform. Expressions of Interest close Sunday, 30 October 2022.

Food waste costs the Australian economy $36.6 billion every year. And it occurs at every step along the supply chain – from the farmgate to processing, packing, distribution, storage, retail, and consumers. If we’re to meet the nation’s goal of halving food waste by 2030, we all need to do better. The newest call for research partnerships from Fight Food Waste CRC aims to help us do just that. 

The ‘Study of gut microbiota of laying hens from different production systems’ or simply, the ‘gut health’ project has recently been completed. To our knowledge, this is the most detailed and thorough study of the gut microbiota ever undertaken in any animal species.

This research recognised the importance of gut microbiota in the productivity of layer flocks and provided comprehensive information on the typical baseline composition of gut microbiota in healthy layer hens in cage, barn, and free range production systems.

The future of innovation in horticulture is bright and will underpin the production of produce that is good for Australia and the world. 

Hort Innovation’s Head of R&D Byron de Kock said, “We strive for balance across our Research, Development and Extension program that represents more than $400 million of investment. At one end of the spectrum, we strive to transform and revolutionise through initiatives in biotechnology and robotics. At the other end, we seek to protect current production through biosecurity, crop protection, pest and disease control investments.”

Agriculture is a critical part of the Australian economy, with the country’s agricultural, fisheries and forestry sector valued at $69 billion and growing. 

With that growth comes an urgent need to expand the use of agricultural technologies to ensure both productivity gains for farmers and Australia's role in the global food system. To do this, more investment needs to be channeled into both research and commercial initiatives for the country's agtech.

AgriFutures Australia created the grow^AG. program to address these needs.  

'Our Farm, Our Plan' has been developed by Dairy Australia with support from Dairy NZ and the Gardiner Foundation and is designed to help farmers answer some of the big questions, clarify business and personal goals, and prioritise what to do next.

For a 12-month period, farmers receive support to put their plan on a page and get everyone in their business on the same page. Dairy Australia farm performance lead Neil Webster said research had shown that when goals were documented people's commitment increased and they were more likely to carry through with the actions needed to achieve their goals.

Sugar Research Australia has worked with local industry in the Rocky Point region to develop sustainable nutrient management guidelines for that area, helping improve profitability and sustainability.

Father and son team Larry and Ben Spann grow sugarcane on about 200 hectares of lease country in the Rocky Point region near Norwell in southeast Queensland.

They see a solid future for the industry to the point where they are developing more country for planting. However, at the same time, they are also acutely aware that the low sugar price means that they must be efficient with their inputs and reduce costs.