High tech hub puts Narrabri at the centre of ag research

Construction of a new $13 million-plus research facility to advance agricultural research opportunities is underway at Narrabri.

The focus of the International Centre of Crop and Digital Farming will be on global food security and agribusiness support for the 21st century.

The new centre will further consolidate Narrabri as a leading hub of regional, national and international agricultural research.

The new building will support a doubling of employment on-site to 80 staff and attract post-graduate students and researchers from around the world. The building is expected to be completed later this year with staff and students then moving in.

The International Centre of Crop and Digital Farming building follows a significant NSW government grant, bolstered by additional investment by the University of Sydney, the Wheat Research Foundation, the Grains Research Development Corporation and Australian Grain Technologies.

The University of Sydney and Wheat Research Foundation have been collaborating for more than 60 years at Narrabri.

Based at the 2000-hectare University of Sydney Plant Breeding Institute, on land owned by the Wheat Research Foundation, the new complex will house genetic and agronomy laboratories alongside digital and robotic workplaces and meeting space to support research and industry engagement.

“The facility will produce improved and adapted crop varieties and traits for NSW farmers, the national grains industry and international collaborators,” the spokesperson said.

“It will develop farming systems with enhanced resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change and agronomic challenges such as drought and heat extremes and promote digital and robotic technologies for use by farmers and agribusiness to make their businesses more productive and profitable.”

Central research interests at the centre will include wheat, chickpeas, faba beans and other summer crops as well as addressing farming system challenges such as weed management, soil science, emerging crops and field robotics and digital agriculture.

“It’s terrific to see the building really starting to take shape,” said the director of the University of Sydney’s Plant Breeding Institute, Professor Richard Trethowan.

“We can’t wait to move in and make full use of its modern facilities.

“Our vision is to deliver research and innovations that address strategic priorities for farmers and regional communities, but also to have impact regionally, nationally and internationally.”

The facility will embrace a wide scope, said Prof Trethowan.

“It will include research to improve water use efficiency, crop yield and quality in response to climate variability, genetic traits for heat and drought tolerance, hybrid wheat breeding, more diverse crop rotations including legumes and cover crops, crop agronomy and soil science, regenerative agricultural systems, multifunctional farm landscapes, indigenous grains and grasses, livestock sciences and digital food and farming technologies will provide scientific solutions to help secure national and global food production and stimulate regional economies.”