Thank you, everyone, for joining our third annual meeting!
It was wonderful to see the progress and achievements of our students, made possible through the ongoing support of our two University partners (The Australian National University and University of Adelaide), industry partners, supervisors, and placement hosts and the Australian Research Council. These two days were once again intense, but rich in discussions of achievements, reflections about the future of the Centre — and of agriculture more broadly.
Before diving into the program highlights, we’d like to once again thank all participants who submitted photos for our friendly competition, showcasing the incredible work happening across the Centre — whether in the lab, in the field, or behind the scenes.
Photo competition
🎉 Congratulations to:
Researchers in Action
Sadia Majeed
Measuring Photosynthesis in Controlled Environment– Focused and Determined
Using the LI-COR 6800 portable photosynthesis system in a glasshouse to measure gas exchange on 72 canola plants. Measurements were taken continuously over three days to assess photosynthetic performance under controlled conditions. Despite the long hours, staying focused and determined is all part of the research journey.
Cool Science
Asma Zia Muhammad Hanif
Chickpea pollens – pollen cell producing a pollen tube
In the Field or Lab
Lauren DuFall
The magic that happens in between – Focused and Determined
This photo features two of our Centre students, Reshma Roy and Asma Zia, and innovation Fellow Nay Chi Khin. A special moment in between activities, where people have a choice to fall into boredom or dive into connecting with each other. Humans are social beings and so much of what we do is made all that much easier by connecting with people.
This photo was taken during a field trip to Wagga Wagga to meet with collaborators at New South Wales DPIRD. During this very special opportunity, one of our students was able to jump in a harvester and everyone had the opportunity to speak to the grower and learn about the harvest process. Thank you to Andrew Carmichael NSW DPIRD for making the extra effort to make this experience possible. Watching a sunset from the field was a highlight of the trip.
Behind the Scenes of Research
Rebeccah Tyrrell
3D scanning wheatplants with APPN
Thank you to Paul Girrawah House, Traditional Custodian Ngambri Country
We were grateful to hear Paul share his traditions, history, and personal journey before delivering the Acknowledgment of Country.
Thank you to everyone who shared kind words with Paul — he truly appreciated reading them.
Great discussions with guest speakers
Agricultural Innovation
- Professor Yu Sheng, Chair Agricultural Economics at Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU – Leveraging Biological Innovation for Agricultural TFP Growth: A Global Perspective on the Impact of GMO Adoption
- Dr Allan Green, Principal of AGRENEW – Future renewable oil crops for a post-petroleum agriculture
Navigating Agricultural policy: Challenges, Change, and the Role of Innovation
- Su McCluskey, Special Representative for Australian Agriculture
- Troy Williams, Chief Executive of National Farmers Federation
- Joanna Stanion, First Assistant Secretary for Agricultural Policy
Recent Developments in Patenting, Access and Benefit Sharing in Genomics
- Professor Dianne Nicol, Emeritus Professor of Law at University of Tasmania
Future Challenges and Directions
- Rachael Rodney Harris, Innovation Training & Education Lead at Agrifood Innovation Institute
- Katherine Delbridge, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Seed Federation
CENTRE RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS AND PROGRESS, by Centre students and fellows
It was wonderful to see how confidently everyone presented in front of a large audience — including our newly recruited students! They all did a fantastic job. 👏
To learn more about their projects, follow the link below:
Students – ARC Training Centre for Future Crops Development
Fun and Social Time
As Barry hands over the Centre directorship to Associate Professor Tony Millar, Barry took the hot seat to reflect on the Centre — its successes, challenges, and future!
A big thank you to our amazing panel — Mary, Alex, Michail, and Rose — for doing such a fantastic job of Barry’s ‘graduation’ ceremony! 🙌
We look forward to getting our Centre together again in 2026..