Researchers and farmers work together to improve chilli crop

BREAKING down the traditional separation between the research community and the farm-gate is paying dividends for Bundaberg’s horticultural sector.

CQUniversity partnered with Australia’s largest chilli company, AustChilli, to address issues affecting on-farm production, starting from the ground up.

AustChilli founder David De Paoli said reducing dependency on crop protectants and improving soil health were top priorities for achieving his goal of delivering the healthiest possible produce to consumers.

“I really want to get back to more natural farming practices and away from traditional agriculture’s reliance on chemicals,” Mr De Paoli said.

“My nature is to understand why things are or aren’t working and that’s why I partnered with the university to put more detailed science behind our business decisions.”

CQUniversity researchers are now working at AustChilli on a range of research projects including assessments of soil treatments and the deployment of drone-mounted sensors to measure crop health.

“By bringing academic knowledge together with our practical skills, we have the great situation of being able to test theoretical knowledge in real-world situations,” Mr De Paoli said.

“And the more we support each other, the better it will be for Bundaberg and for the future of our community.”

Such is the strength of the relationship between AustChilli and CQUniversity, that they recently won a Federal Government Innovations Connections grant.