Helping Vietnamese farmers ‘rice’ to the challenge

Researchers from the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) will receive part of a $1.45 million boost through the Australian Government’s Aus4Innovation program to develop technological solutions supporting sustainable agricultural practices in Vietnam.

Managed by CSIRO – Australia’s national science agency – the Aus4Innovation Program has announced funding for three projects across Australia’s university sector that aim to use high-tech solutions to address the complexities of modern agriculture.

UniSQ researchers Professor Armando Apan, Professor Tek Maraseni, Dr Thong Nguyen-Huy and Dr Bikram Banerjee received a grant for their project, which aims to improve crop monitoring and access to information by smallholder farmers and government decision-makers in Vietnam.

Professor Apan, who is leading the research, said the collaboration between UniSQ and the Vietnam National Space Centre would harness geospatial technologies to provide vital crop information and boost productivity in rice and fruit crops.

“Effective crop monitoring is vital for informed decision-making among Vietnamese farmers and other relevant stakeholders, but a significant number of smallholder farmers do not have access to critical imagery indicating crop stress and yield,” Professor Apan said.

“The primary objective of this initiative is to improve data accessibility and enhance the accuracy and detail of information available to small-scale farmers, which we’ll achieve through the creation of cloud-based internet mapping tools.

“With these resources at their disposal, Vietnamese farmers will be better equipped to make well-informed decisions aimed at boosting crop yield and increasing household income.”

Professor Apan said the primary goal was to create detailed maps for rice and fruit crops at the farm level by utilising field data and AI algorithms, in conjunction with drone and spaceborne sensors.

UniSQ Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems Director Professor Robbie Girling said the University was proud to be leading research that would help address complex global challenges.

“The University of Southern Queensland is thrilled to hear that Professor Armando Apan, Professor Tek Maraseni, Dr Thong Nguyen-Huy and Dr Bikram Banerjee have been awarded an Aus4Innovation Partnership Grant,” Professor Girling said.

“This research is a prime example of UniSQ’s ongoing commitment to research that leads the way in shaping the future of sustainable global food production.”

CSIRO Counsellor to Vietnam and Director of the Aus4Innovation Program Dr Kim Wimbush said the three projects receiving funding would use artificial intelligence for carbon farming, geospatial technology to provide real-time crop data, and digital traceability and certification to enable more sustainable farming.

“Advancing technological solutions for local farmers in Vietnam by working with farmers, industry and research institutes will build enduring capacity and skills, to help reshape Vietnam’s agriculture practices,” Dr Wimbush said.

“These projects will not only have an impact on individual smallholder farmers, but shape the sector through adoption of these solutions more broadly.

“Partnering universities with the innovation ecosystem in Vietnam means they can test products at scale and speed in a unique market in Vietnam and bring the successful implementation techniques back to the Australian agricultural sector.”

The UniSQ research project will receive $487,718 over two years as part of the Aus4Innovation Program.

The Aus4Innovation Program is a 10-year (2018-2028) $33.5 million flagship program aimed at strengthening Vietnam’s innovation system to support inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development.

The program is funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), co-funded and managed by CSIRO and delivered in a strategic partnership with Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology.

Read more about the research at UniSQ’s Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems.