Collaboration to help predict crop yields
UNIVERSITY of Queensland research projects to develop better batteries for renewable energy and a way of predicting crop yields from space have been funded under a joint Queensland-China scheme.
The projects have received Queensland-Chinese Academy of Sciences (Q-CAS) Collaborative Science Fund grants, announced this week.
The scheme provides individual grants up to $250,000 over two years for Queensland and Chinese researchers to undertake innovative projects.
The UQ-based Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation will work with the Beijing-based Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI) to develop crop yield prediction systems using satellite data and biophysical crop modelling systems.
QAAFI’s Dr Andries Potgieter and RADI’s Dr Miao Zhang will lead the project, which Dr Potgieter said aimed to help producers and industry cope with weather extremes and climate change.
“Queensland is more exposed to climate variability and extremes than any other state in Australia,” Dr Potgieter said.
“Farmers in both Queensland and China are facing the increased risk of volatile seasonal weather hanging over their heads.”
“We will use earth observation data to predict
crop yield at field scale. This will hopefully lead to improved prediction of farmer yields.”
The Q-CAS Fund is now open for applications. Visit advance.qld.gov.au/uniresearchers/qld-chinesescience-fund.aspx.