he VegMech Technology Catalogue was launched in a global webinar on Tuesday 4 August with more than 100 people from 8 countries registered for the online event. DPI’s VegMech team at the Gatton Smart Farm developed the comprehensive, easy-to-navigate resource to bring together more than 40 automated and mechanised field machinery solutions for the Australian vegetable industry.
.jpeg "Victorian growers get first-hand look at next-generation AgTech")
Practical, hands-on demonstrations of emerging agricultural technologies are playing an important role in helping Australian vegetable growers make informed decisions about future investments. This was highlighted through the MT24013 Accelerating early access to emerging tech for vegetable growers project, which recently delivered its first regional AgTech Showcase satellite event at VicVID 2026 in Tyabb, Victoria.
 - 300 x 200.jpg "Qualipac’s Gamechanger: How FarmDroid is Transforming Farming in the Lockyer Valley")
Farming is changing and one Lockyer Valley farming business is leading the way with cutting-edge technology that’s making growing vegetables easier, more efficient and more sustainable. Troy and Brad Qualischefski, who run Qualipac, have embraced the future of farming by introducing the FarmDroid - an autonomous, solar-powered seeder and weeder that’s already delivering impressive results.
Australia is globally renowned for producing high-quality, trusted horticulture products, and Queensland’s $450 million Lockyer Valley is at the heart of our agricultural success.
Unlocking the potential of horticulture
Queensland Government’s Gatton Smart Farm offers a pipeline of spaces and facilities for research, development, and extension activities focused on horticulture productivity and sustainability.
What you’ll find on-site:
Why here and why now
Gatton Smart Farm helps the horticulture industry address the significant challenges of:
Located in the heart of Queensland’s thriving agricultural research and development precinct, Gatton Smart Farm is a vibrant centre of research and collaboration. This world-class facility connects producers, researchers, and commercial AgTech providers, offering state-of-the-art facilities for trials, demonstrations, and adoption of cutting-edge technologies.
AgTech research areas at Gatton
Crops in focus
Gatton Smart Farm is leading the charge in producing world-class AgTech for some of Queensland’s most profitable and high-demand crops, including:
Global AgTech ecosystem
The Gatton Smart Farm is part of a much larger Global AgTech ecosystem.
Key initiatives and partners:
These networks ensure that knowledge flows quickly into producers' hands, helping transform Queensland, and Australia, into a global leader in horticulture and food production.
Visit Gatton
Gatton Smart Farm is open to producers, researchers, AgTech companies, and entrepreneurs from across Queensland, Australia, and the world.
Contact
Protected cropping involves growing crops within, under, or sheltered by structures that create modified growing conditions.
The key aims and benefits of protected cropping are to:
Our Research and Expertise
DPI's Protected Cropping team has supported the adoption of tropical and subtropical protected cropping systems since 2010.
Our research helps drive profitability, sustainability and resilience in horticulture enterprises across the tropics and subtropics. We focus on practical agronomy and emerging technologies, developing and demonstrating production systems for both established and emerging crops.
Protected Cropping Centre for Mild Winter Climates
As protected cropping systems become increasingly sophisticated, collaboration across industry, research and education is more important than ever.
The Protected Cropping Centre for Mild Winter Climates provides a unique platform for research, development and extension. We welcome engagement with growers, industry partners, researchers and educators to explore innovation opportunities, share knowledge, and accelerate the adoption of new technologies.
Through collaboration, we aim to improve productivity, enhance resilience, and support sustainable growth across Australia's protected cropping industry.
Facilities and Research Focus
Our team works with growers at all levels of experience, investment and technology adoption, from fit-for-purpose polytunnels through to fully automated glasshouses.
Facilities in North Queensland and at the Gatton Smart Farm include retractable-roof greenhouses and a high-roof polyhouse. Research and demonstration activities focus on established greenhouse crops such as cucumber, eggplant, capsicum and tomato, as well as emerging opportunities including specialty vegetables and berry crops. We are also investigating high-value crops suited to protected systems, including specialty melons, strawberries, figs and dragon fruit.
Working closely with leading growers, seed companies and AgTech innovators, our research explores greenhouse automation, robotics, biological crop protection and advanced growing systems. Many of these technologies are showcased through regular industry events hosted at the Gatton Smart Farm.
Industry Leadership
Our work is guided by the Australian Protected Cropping Strategy 2021-2030, developed through Hort Innovation with co-investment from DPI and contributions from the Australian Government.
The outcomes of our work support horticultural industries in warm-climate regions and have broader applications for warm-season production in temperate regions across Australia.
Selected Highlights
To grow with us or for more information contact elio.jovicich@dpi.qld.gov.au and col.douglas@dpi.qld.gov.au
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Field AgTech has the potential to contribute significantly to vegetable production systems through increased levels of data and information available to vegetable growers allowing for more informed management decisions, and opportunities for greater efficiencies in labour and crop inputs.
Field AgTech covers a range of technologies including:
DPI’s AgTech team has been supporting the adoption of field AgTech solutions from controlled traffic systems, through precision agriculture approaches and most recently through sensor networks and automated and mechanised solutions. The focus of supporting field agtech integration is on the economic and agronomic implications for the farming system as well as the grower practical experiences in agtech integration and adoption.
The field AgTech team delivers RD&E through:
Selected highlights:
For more information contact: julie.ohalloran@dpi.qld.gov.au or heidi.parkes@dpi.qld.gov.au
Our research and expertise
DPI's Postharvest team at Gatton is part of the ASQ's Supply Chain Innovation team. We apply research in postharvest technology to help grower and businesses to improve quality and extend shelf life of fresh horticultural produce (in particular vegetable and fruit crops) in several areas, including:
Current research and development projects
Recent completed research at Gatton Smart Farm
As per detailed information in the 'Project Document Library Tool' Widget, the postharvest team at Gatton has conducted several trials in the past few years, including:
For further information please contact Dr Roberto Marques on 0450 720 544 or roberto.marques@dpi.qld.gov.au
Explore real-time and forecast weather data from on-farm stations to support smarter, more informed decision-making.
Track chill and heat accumulation in your region to make more confident planting and production decisions.
The Gatton Smart Farm initiative, also known as 'AS20007 Driving adoption of AgTech across Australia', is funded by the Hort Frontiers Advanced Production Systems fund. This is part of the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation, with co-investment from the Queensland Government and contributions from the Australian Government.
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