AgTech solutions for industry
Australia has a global reputation for producing high-quality and trusted horticulture products.
To maintain and grow this position, technology adoption is critical to expand markets and solve challenges faced in labour management, product quality, climate variability and supply chain wastage.
Based in sub-tropical Queensland, the Gatton Smart Farm will accelerate the adoption of ag technologies by creating an ecosystem enabling co-innovation between the Australian horticulture industry, research community and AgTech solution providers.
Providing a pipeline of spaces and facilities among the thriving agricultural research and development (R&D) precinct, collaborators at the Gatton Smart Farm will deliver responsive AgTech solutions for in-field, protected cropping and supply chain systems.
Gatton Smart Farm is open to producers and supply chain businesses nationally. It will enable a smart horticulture industry and cement Australia's position as a leader in food production.
Read the media announcement about Gatton Smart Farm.
Smart Farm news, stories and events
Keep up-to-date with our latest Smart Farm news, stories and events.
Gatton Smart Farm AgTech Showcase
Around 1000 growers and AgTech industry attended the AgTech Showcase held at the Gatton Smart Farm on 1 and 2 November 2023.
It showcased the latest AgTech innovations in field robotics, sensors, drones, protected cropping, postharvest, cover cropping and strip tillage, and more.
Read transcript
TM: The AgTech Showcase was designed by a team of experts and industry professionals to bring together some of the new and emerging technologies that could affect production in the vegetable and other horticultural sectors.
IL: We wanted to showcase the latest technology that growers could adopt here in the valley. We quickly went from 200 to 300, 400 interest, then we had to extend to a second day. We got 600, and then we've ended up with a thousand people with international visitors from the EU, from the US, New Zealand, and all states of Australia really coming to the Valley.
AG: The AgTech showcase has really brought value to the industry for me by bringing all these people who are developing machinery together in the one spot so that we can all have a look at them side by side and really get those innovation juices flowing through, meeting the multiple different vendors that we've got.
IL: The Stout AI mechanical cultivator is the first one in Australia, right here in the Lockyer Valley. The FarmDroid is similar, it's their first ones in Australia. The weeder, it's a solar power weeder and seeder, again for the first time. The Robotti, again, really the first time in the Lockyer Valley where people have really been able to see that working in a proper field environment.
LVL: It's great to have international technologies brought to us with local growers, showcasing how that technology can work on farms in our areas.
TM: We had a lot of excitement in the technologies that were shown. That included technologies that could help them make their farming system easier, but also improve their bottom line, and also look at ways in which they can improve the sustainability of their enterprises.
BB: So it opens up the avenue of having a different skillset come onto farms where instead of people driving a tractor, they're probably driving a computer, especially with the new innovation that's available.
CP: I think an event like the AgTech Showcase brings great value to just the farmers and the agronomists and just the whole industry to come together and talk and just see what's out there to broaden our minds to what we can and can't do.
AG: Some of the technology that would be really applicable here is the Stout Auto Weeder. If we can get rid of potatoes in bean crops, that would be amazing for the Simplot business and for our growers.
BB: Without field days like this, we have to travel the world to see this sort of new innovation and technology. So to bring it here under Australian conditions is a great achievement.
About Gatton Smart Farm
Gatton Smart Farm is a $9 million Queensland Government and Hort Innovation initiative to drive AgTech adoption across supply chains by transforming the Gatton Research facility into a world-class Smart Farm for horticulture.
The facility is based in sub-tropical Queensland's $450 million Lockyer Valley horticulture industry, adjacent to the University of Queensland's Gatton campus and close to the Wellcamp Airport.
State-of-the-art facilities
A suite of state-of-the-art protected cropping and post-harvest facilities will be established at the site, including a climate-controlled research glasshouse, retractable roof protected cropping structure and cold-rooms with controlled atmosphere technology.
The Gatton Smart Farm will be supported by a network of on-farm demonstration trials and a world-leading extension program.
Areas of AgTech research, development and extension include, but are not limited to:
- field cropping including robotics
- protected cropping
- post-harvest and supply chain
- whole of farm and food supply system integration.
Focus crops include, but are not limited to:
- vegetables
- berries – blueberries, strawberries and raspberries
- tree crops – tropical fruit, avocados and macadamias.
Producers from across Australia, commercial companies and researchers will work together at Gatton Smart Farm to test, adapt and co-develop tech and farming system innovations.
Industry can interact with tech innovations, learn about new technologies to improve agricultural productivity and optimise supply chains through demonstrations and technical support.
Commercial companies can research and develop their own products and services.
At the Gatton Smart Farm:
- industry, commercial companies and researchers will work together to test, adapt and co-develop tech and farming system innovations
- industry can interact with tech innovations, and learn about new technologies to improve agricultural productivity and optimise supply chains through demonstrations and technical support
- commercial companies can research and develop their own products and services.
Artist's impressions
See how the AgTech infrastructure at Gatton Smart Farm will take shape.
Artists impressions of Gatton Smart Farm
Vegetable pathology and virology facility
Retractable roof cropping research and development centre
Post harvest research and evaluation laboratory
Contact
Email GattonSmartFarm@daf.qld.gov.au with questions or feedback.
Gatton Research Facility
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Warrego Highway, Gatton
Queensland 4343
Our funding
The Gatton Smart Farm initiative, also known as 'AS20007 Driving adoption of AgTech across Australia', is funded by the Hort Frontiers Advanced Production Systems fund. This is part of the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation, with co-investment from the Queensland Government and contributions from the Australian Government.
Our partners
Last updated: 10 May 2024