Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation

A fantastic start for UQ ARSA at O-Week Market Day at St Lucia. 🎉 With 40+ new members signing up, the stall was buzzing with energy.

📍Based at Gatton Campus? Drop by the UQ ARSA stall next week on 24 Feb from 4-6pm to learn more about how the association supports students across ag and food.

UQ research has revealed that double-stranded RNA-based biopesticides (dsRNA) sprayed on plant leaves can travel into root systems. The work also disproves a long-standing misconception that dsRNA directly enters plant cells.

https://bit.ly/4cyOqYs

Join us for next week's Seminar: Understanding Nitrogen Efficiency in Beef Cattle: Insights from Seven Years of Research with A/Prof Luis Prada e Silva. 🐂

🔗 bit.ly/46i4wSk
🕛 24 Feb, 12:00pm AEST

Igniting the future of agricultural with exciting research at #UQ. Congratulations to Dr Maral Seididamyeh and Dr Chian Teng Ong for their Australian Economic Accelerator Ignite Round 2 grants.



https://bit.ly/4kMcFEU

What could Indigenous-led innovation look like in ag and food research? 💡QAAFI is inviting a passionate and visionary leader to help shape that future. Applications close 1 March.

👉 bit.ly/4aOphrt

Testing confirms chemical-free future for fighting flystrike. The next step is field trials with industry support.

https://bit.ly/46MNdZU

On International Day of Women and Girls in Science we celebrate the outstanding women across QAAFI, in crop, horticulture, animal and food and nutrition science. We also acknowledge those women working behind the scenes. The research done here is shaping the future of agriculture.

Unlocking the sublime in native citrus. A detailed look at PhD candidate Joel Johnson's work on native live species in Australia, published in the latest edition of Hort Journal.

You can read all about it via the link below:

https://hortjournal.com.au/

Bendelow Lecture - Good enough to eat: how gene edited crops and animals contribute to food security and sustainability Join us for this special Plant Science seminar

Good enough to eat: how gene edited crops and animals contribute to food security and sustainability🌱 In this engaging Bendelow Lecture, QAAFI’s Prof Ian Godwin explores the role of gene editing in shaping the future of agriculture. 🔗 bit.ly/4bIver4

Congrats to Dr Jiahua Shi and BiomeCentric on securing a National Industry PhD Program award. The project will transform Australian avocado food waste into novel cosmeceutical ingredients, strengthening Australia’s circular bioeconomy. As part of the collab, David Xiao will commence his PhD at UQ. 🌱

📢 New opportunity | Senior Manager, Indigenous Engagement (Identified s25)

QAAFI is seeking a visionary leader to drive Indigenous engagement across our Institute. bit.ly/3O2ZHpO

Emeritus Prof Robert Henry joined Queensland Country Hour to discuss why sugarcane could be the key to sustainable aviation fuel ✈️🌱

He talks through what makes sugarcane so productive and scalable, and how genetics could boost how much can be converted into fuel.

🎧 Listen from 17:14: ab.co/4bxtDEu

🐄 QAAFI Science Seminar: Understanding Nitrogen Efficiency in Beef Cattle: Insights from Seven Years of Research. Discover from A/Prof Luis Prada e Silva how years of research is reshaping our understanding of nitrogen efficiency in northern beef systems.

24 Feb 2026 | 12:00pm 🔗bit.ly/46i4wSk

Genetically modified purple tomatoes have been given the tick of approval in Australia. #UQ's Prof Ian Godwin says genetically modified foods can offer a range of benefits for the farmer and consumer.

https://ab.co/4k4bhwZ

Congratulations to QAAFI's Dr Maral Seididamyeh and Dr Chian Teng Ong for securing Ignite Round 2 grants from Australia’s Economic Accelerator.

https://bit.ly/4be7laA

Sugarcane hits the sweet spot for sustainable carbon. An opinion piece from Emeritus Professor Robert Henry explaining why plants, and sugarcane in particular are the logical choice as the source material for sustainable aviation fuel.

https://bit.ly/3NjWn9E
Image: Mackay Sugar

🐟 AI set to revolutionise barramundi farming.

QAAFI PhD candidate Jessica Hintzsche recently spoke with ABC Radio about how artificial intelligence could transform barramundi aquaculture.

🎧 Listen from 46:45: ab.co/45f7qqH

QAAFI is hiring across research, partnerships and professional roles, offering you the chance to make real-world impact in 2026.

Some include:
🔹 Research Partnerships Officer
🔹 Postdoc Research Fellow (Sorghum Genome Bioinformatics)
🔹 FaBA Administration Officer

View all now 👉 bit.ly/4pWMY5z

🎙️Our researcher Samson Olumide Fawale was recently featured on ABC’s South Australian Country Hour (from 42:50), sharing insights from his research into native Australian yams — an important First Nations food with significant agricultural and nutritional potential.

🎧 https://ab.co/4jASf0J

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to look back. From research milestones to new partnerships, the work achieved is already helping shape what comes next. qaafi.uq.edu.au/news

We wish our community a safe and well-earned break. QAAFI closes COB 24 Dec 2025 and reopens 5 Jan 2026.

Considering your next career move over the holiday period? QAAFI has two more opportunities available:

- Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Crop Physiology 🔗bit.ly/4aUkipF

- Research Partnerships Officer 🔗bit.ly/49jISz5

🚜Featured in Rural Business Magazine and developed at UQ, CropVision can predict crop yield and production risk up to four months before sowing. bit.ly/4pM0MAy

Woman in lab coat and gloves working at a fume cabinet in a scientific laboratory

A new low-sugar beverage featuring Kakadu plum combines Indigenous knowledge with modern innovation to promote wellbeing and healthier options for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Discover more about it via the link:

https://bit.ly/495sJfA

Looking for a dose of breakthrough ag research before the year wraps up? This edition of Innovation in Agriculture brings together some of the standout stories from 2025, spanning crops, livestock, food, sustainability and Indigenous-led research. 🔗bit.ly/493P654

🌱Meet Dr Yuhan Liu. After completing her study at UQ, her research is helping improve biological nitrogen fixation, supporting sustainable farming and reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers. bit.ly/48IDbux

Late last month we shared exciting findings on Mungbean from QAAFI PhD candidate Caitlin Dudley. It’s well worth a read if you missed it. 👉bit.ly/3XKezuZ

#UQResearch #QAAFI #GRDC #Mungbean #CropBreeding #Agriculture #Innovation

🌏 Happy World Soil Day! Today we join in acknowledging that soil is the foundation of our future. At QAAFI, soil is at the heart of much of what we do from understanding root systems to developing techs and innovations that help farmers build resilience and boost productivity.

🌾 Congrats to Prof David Jordan on his appointment as Chair of the Global Sorghum Association Board! A world-leading sorghum breeder with more than 35 years’ experience, he has led QAAFI’s sorghum breeding program and licensed over 2,500 sorghum lines.🔗globalsorghum.org/board

🥭 Biting into a sweet, juicy mango this summer? Here’s what makes Aussie mangoes truly special.
According to Prof Heather Smyth from QAAFI, Australian mangoes owe their uniquely sweet, tangy flavour to a compound called alpha-terpinolene. ab.co/4ishmTb

QAAFI recently joined Nyanda Aboriginal Cultural Tours and Bush Foods Experience, just outside Brisbane. It was an incredible opportunity to listen, learn, and honour the enduring wisdom of Aboriginal peoples. Big thanks to Dominique Chen for organising this experience.