FUTURE FARM FIELD DAY

The first ever Future Farm Field Day organised by the University of Southern Queensland, saw dozens of visitors from as far as Western Australia come together to assimilate future farm technologies.

The event featured USQ’s work in agricultural, climate and environmental research. The aspiration behind the occasion was for visitors to gain an insight into the way humans, smart phone apps and electronics can work together to improve agricultural efficiency.

“The way we can work together within and between centers is something we’re really proud of at USQ, and it’s helping us to come up with solutions to increase profitability and sustainability in industries including cotton, grains, sugar, horticulture, dairy and livestock,” explains National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture’s (NCEA) Professor Craig Baillie.

Highlights of the day included live demonstrations of some of Toowoomba-based dealer Vanderfield’s heavy and impressive machinery. Guests also enjoyed aerial drone flight displays used for cropping and pest control, arranged by V-TOL Aerospace and NCEA’s Dr Cheryl McCarthy. Other demonstrations focused on agricultural engineering for the enhancement of crop health. From irrigation technology and climate science to bioenergy and biosecurity, farmers and farm enthusiasts alike soaked up all the knowledge from this influential and important event.