The Agricultural Production Systems Research Unit (APSRU) phase IV project, capitalises on a history of collaboration between the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI), CSIRO, Natural Resources and Water, the University of Queensland and more recently, the University of Southern Queensland, in farming systems and crop adaptation, and research and development.

The objectives of the APSRU phase IV collaboration project are:

1. To bring together research bodies in the fields of farming systems and crop adaptation, improvement, and research and development, to develop synergies and maximise opportunities for each participant.
2. APSRU will serve as a meeting point to discuss science opportunities, share knowledge, ideas and learnings, negotiate collaborative projects, develop new initiatives and strategic positions as well as provide an opportunity to discuss changes to organisational priorities.
3. Coordinate activities and deploy research capacity to address priority issues in the following areas:
   • farming systems research (including links to catchment scale activities)
   • crop adaptation and improvement
   • climate risk and global change
   • systems education.