Join us for the second Gatton AgTech Showcase on 15 and 16 October 2025.
Key details
| Date | 8.30am to 5pm, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 October 2025 |
|---|---|
| Location | Gatton Smart Farm Note: Search for ‘Gatton Research Station’ in Google Maps. |
| Cost | All levy paying growers are free, including non-horticulture growers.
The sundowner event is free. |
| How to register | Registrations are essential. Tickets on sale now! |
| Program | Download the Gatton AgTech Showcase directory (PDF, 5MB). |
| Site maps | Gatton AgTech Showcase site map (PDF, 2MB) General Exhibition and Protected Cropping exhibition map (PDF, 270KB) |
About
The second Gatton AgTech Showcase brings together horticulture growers, agribusinesses, technology companies, consultants, researchers and students from the Lockyer Valley, across Queensland and around Australia for this technology and innovation showcase.
The first showcase, held in November 2023, was so successful that it won the 2024 VISY Industry Impact award at the Australian Horticulture Awards.
Watch this wrap-up video of the successful Gatton AgTech Showcase hosted by the Gatton Smart Farm on 1–2 November 2023.
Transcript
TM: The AgTech Showcase was designed by a team of experts and industry professionals to bring together some of the new and emerging technologies that could affect production in the vegetable and other horticultural sectors.
IL: We wanted to showcase the latest technology that growers could adopt here in the valley. We quickly went from 200 to 300, 400 interest, then we had to extend to a second day. We got 600, and then we've ended up with a thousand people with international visitors from the EU, from the US, New Zealand, and all states of Australia really coming to the Valley.
AG: The AgTech showcase has really brought value to the industry for me by bringing all these people who are developing machinery together in the one spot so that we can all have a look at them side by side and really get those innovation juices flowing through, meeting the multiple different vendors that we've got.
IL: The Stout AI mechanical cultivator is the first one in Australia, right here in the Lockyer Valley. The FarmDroid is similar, it's their first ones in Australia. The weeder, it's a solar power weeder and seeder, again for the first time. The Robotti, again, really the first time in the Lockyer Valley where people have really been able to see that working in a proper field environment.
LVL: It's great to have international technologies brought to us with local growers, showcasing how that technology can work on farms in our areas.
TM: We had a lot of excitement in the technologies that were shown. That included technologies that could help them make their farming system easier, but also improve their bottom line, and also look at ways in which they can improve the sustainability of their enterprises.
BB: So it opens up the avenue of having a different skillset come onto farms where instead of people driving a tractor, they're probably driving a computer, especially with the new innovation that's available.
CP: I think an event like the AgTech Showcase brings great value to just the farmers and the agronomists and just the whole industry to come together and talk and just see what's out there to broaden our minds to what we can and can't do.
AG: Some of the technology that would be really applicable here is the Stout Auto Weeder. If we can get rid of potatoes in bean crops, that would be amazing for the Simplot business and for our growers.
BB: Without field days like this, we have to travel the world to see this sort of new innovation and technology. So to bring it here under Australian conditions is a great achievement.
The 2025 event
Protected cropping will be a feature of this year’s showcase, with the official launch of the Centre for Mild Winter Climate Protected Cropping, supported by the National Farmers' Federation's National Horticulture Roadshow.
The expanded 2025 program includes:
- 19 live in-crop demonstrations of field AgTech
- protected cropping greenhouses with crop and AgTech demonstrations, and a protected cropping expo and speaker program
- an AgTech speaker program curated by AusAgritech
- an AgTech general exhibition with trade show booths
- a ‘sundowner’ networking event in the greenhouse.
The event will showcase state-of-the-art AgTech innovations, featuring in-field robotics, sensors, drones, protected cropping, postharvest solutions, cover cropping, strip tillage and more.
Live exhibitor program
The Gatton Smart Farm Team has been preparing the fields and crops since June to be ready for the in-field demonstrations.
The live exhibitors include:
- Aerium Analytics
- AGOVOR
- Agri Automation Australia
- AHR SoilWealth and Integrated Crop Protection
- AVIAVO
- Carbon Robotics
- Croplands Equipment Pty Ltd
- CropVue Technologies
- RDO EcoRobotix
- Farm Concepts Pty Ltd
- FarmTech
- Field Capacity Australia
- Flux
- Landpower
- Magrowtec
- Polybee Australia Pty Ltd
- Precision Ag Services
- Skykelpie
- Swarmfarm
- Teramax Pty Ltd.
Protected cropping program
To celebrate the launch of the ‘Queensland Centre for Protected Cropping in Mild Winter Climates’, the DPI Protected Cropping team has built a strong program of exhibitor booths, live demonstrations and a speaking program, being held in the new Cravo structure.
The speaking program includes DPI researchers, growers and industry representatives.
The keynote speaker is Levi Nupponen, Managing Director at Agrology on ‘De-risking investment in protected cropping: Lessons for Smarter Growth’.
AusAgritech speaking program
The Australian Agritech Association (AusAgritech)—the peak body for agritech in Australia—is partnering to support the showcase through a speaking program designed for growers, agritech providers and students.
There will be an inspiring program of AgTech providers, industry, growers and panels (PDF, 5MB).
Food and drinks
Coffee and food trucks will be on site.
A water station will also be available to refill water bottles.
Accommodation
Accommodation options include:
- Gatton township—only a 10-minute drive from the Gatton Smart Farm (limited accommodation)
- Toowoomba—about 40 minutes away (lots of accommodation)
- Ipswich (49km away)
- Brisbane (87km away).
Funding and supporters
This event is funded by Hort Innovation, using the vegetable and onion research and development levies, contributions from the Australian Government and co-investment from the Queensland Department of Primary Industries.
Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.
The launch of the Queensland Centre for Protected Cropping in Mild Winter Climates received funding from the National Horticulture Roadshow (NHR). The NHR is being delivered by the NFF Horticulture Council with funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry through the Showcasing Australian Horticulture grant.
DPI is delivering the event in collaboration with Cussons Media, AUSVEG and AusAgritech.
Extreme weather
The event team is dedicated to ensuring this outdoor field day goes ahead successfully, but as we know in agriculture, the weather is impossible to control.
If extreme weather conditions are forecast, the showcase may be modified, postponed or cancelled.
- If the showcase is cancelled or postponed, you will be notified promptly.
- If it is cancelled, you will receive a full reimbursement of your registration fees.
- If it is postponed, you can choose to:
- transfer your registration to the rescheduled event date, or
- request a full refund.
Topics
Last updated: 08 Oct 2025