National Ag Day

Today is National Ag Day – a day to celebrate the industry which keeps the nation fed and clothed all year long. The University of Southern Queensland is committed to developing and enabling Australia’s agricultural sector through research, education, and thriving industry partnerships.

• Dr Alison McCarthy is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Agricultural Engineering and can speak about National Ag Day and why it’s important for the entire country to celebrate our growers all year long. Dr McCarthy can also share the ways in which the University of Southern Queensland is leading the way in ag-tech research, particularly with regard to potential application of artificial intelligence to benefit the industry.

• Associate Professor Ben Lyons is the Director for the Rural Economies Centre of Excellence and can speak about the role agriculture plays in Australia's thriving economy, and how it secures our strong standing in the global economy. A/Prof Lyons can also speak about the current state of play in Australia's export industry, particularly with regard to Australia-China trade relations.

• Dr Simon Kelderman is a Research Fellow with the Centre for Agricultural Engineering and can speak about his new technology which will measure real-time water evaporation in crops and fallows, while also evaluating the effectiveness of different efficiency strategies. With water being such a precious resource in agriculture, it’s important we know where it’s going. Dr Kelderman’s technology will help farmers grow more crops with the same amount of water – at just one-sixth of the price as similar scientific equipment.