#Research

With a showstopping flowerhead worthy of a wedding bouquet, sweet lupin cuts a fine figure across Western Australia’s wheatbelt. Despite its enviable protein content, lupin is still mostly consigned to stockfeed. Now, with the help of both CSIRO and Curtin University, WA-based regen food and ag company, Wide Open Agriculture, is on a mission to unlock the food potential of Australia’s biggest plant protein crop.

Take cutting-edge agrifood technology, build lasting collaboration to drive further innovation, test at scale and value-add – creating benefits not just for one business but an entire community. It’s an approach to innovation that gives the work of the Future Food Systems CRC an ‘exceptional edge’ and one the CRC is keen to showcase at evoke^AG. 2024. 

Plant breeders are in a race against time to deliver crop varieties that can survive more frequent, prolonged, and severe heat events. A new research project by The Agrifood Innovation Institute is helping plant breeders accelerate the development of heat tolerant wheat – and insure the global food system against climate-induced harvest failures.

Imagine an innovation system where universities are encouraged to step outside traditional discipline-specific boundaries, and throw the full might of their research and technology at our agricultural challenges? That’s a future, the Australian National University’s (ANU) Centre for Entrepreneurial Agri-Technology (CEAT) is embracing.

Wine Australia is charging ahead with innovations to ensure Australia’s viticulture industry continues to thrive, off the back of a challenging period. CEO Dr Martin Cole delves deep into their R&D approach, exciting solutions, like zero alcohol products and how grow^AG. is helping to enable growth.

Matt Newell, a perennial cereals research officer with NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) sees a very big future for perennial wheats in Australia.

The push to develop perennial wheats suitable for Australian conditions is gathering momentum. Delivering improved sustainability, on-farm profitability, and nutritional outcomes – perennial wheats have everyone from mixed farmers to artisan brewers and bakers excited.

An ambitious UK spinout has developed a next-generation plant-based alternative to plastic. Xampla’s biomimetic approach could solve one of the world’s most pernicious environmental problems: the plastic pollution entering our soils, our water, and even – our food.

Poor connectivity is the challenge, Wagga Wagga based wireless networking startup Zetifi have set out to solve, affecting two thirds of Australian farms. Teaming up with local grain grower, Andrew Dumaresq to trial technology on-farm has been key in maximising its value to the end user – the farmer.

AgriFutures Australia Managing Director, John Harvey shares his vision for Australian agrifood tech innovation and why global collaboration is needed to continue driving commercialisation of homegrown R&D and global partnerships. Here he speaks with Australian agritech entrepreneur and BDO AgTech Lead, Michael Macolino, about evoke^AG. and new platform – grow^AG. to help accelerate the innovation pathway.

It is a great time to be in rural research and innovation. There is a landslide of activity across agriculture, fisheries and forestries, all designed to deliver new technologies and opportunities to Australian farmers.

A game-changing online digital platform connecting the world to Australian agricultural innovation will drive investment, commercialisation and make research and development outcomes transparent for levy payers and the community. Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud said growAG will showcase success stories, research projects and commercial opportunities in one centralised location.