Bundaberg Research Facility provides support to horticultural, agricultural and sugar industries in the Wide Bay area of south-east Queensland. The deep red volcanic soils provide excellent capacity for research and development to a wide range of horticultural and coastal broadacre crops and sugarcane projects as well as 10 hectares (ha) each of citrus breeding and macadamia breeding. It has a state-of-the-art irrigation system, reliable irrigation water supply provided by Sunwater and a bore and onsite water storages. The vegetable trial area provides an ideal controlled site for a wide range of trials.
Extensive windbreaks protect the site which is generally frost-free, and has a high security field area. Experienced staff support the internal research activity along with contracted trials and commercial work.
Site details
| Facility name | Bundaberg Research Facility |
|---|---|
| Address | 49 Ashfield Road, Rubyanna, Bundaberg QLD 4670 |
| Coordinates (GPS at office) | 24°50'54''S, 152°24'14''E |
| Climate | Subtropical, high humidity, with an average annual rainfall of 1026.7mm, 60% of rain falls between December and March. The minimum temperature is 16.4°C and the maximum temperature is 29.5°C. |
| Topography | Flat to sloping land, draining into a central waterway/pond system. |
Facilities
The site has built facilities including an administration office with accommodation for 25 staff, with a combined lunch/meeting room. The site has general storage, field laboratories, plant houses, laboratories, machinery sheds and purpose built mechanical workshop and chemical store.
The site has a wide range of plant and equipment including tractors, sprayers and cultivators required to support research and grow a broad range of horticultural and agricultural crops.
Specialised infrastructure
Controlled environments:
- 2 large poly houses and 1 large shade house with a total coverage of 1,101m2
- 4 cold rooms, plus a small mobile cold room with a total coverage of 37m2
- 1 insect rearing room
Laboratories, processing facilities and conference room:
- 3 laboratories
Irrigation:
- Computer controlled, constant pressure variable drive 44kw (x5 pumps), for tree sprinklers and drip tape, overheads, plus 40kw variable drive pump for travelling irrigation
- Water storage
Specialised plant and equipment
- Precision planters and plot harvesters
- Plot harvesters
- Specialist protected sprayers for orchard weed control in windy conditions
- GPS guidance
- Fertiliser applicators
Pest and pathogen control:
- Sprayers
Transportation:
- Truck
Sample processing:
- Dryers – Electric and gas
Research focus
Plant breeding:
- National citrus breeding projects: developing new mandarin varieties and rootstocks – covers approximately 10ha
- National macadamia breeding program: covers approximately 10ha
- National strawberry breeding program: warm, subtropical environmental adaptability
- Peanut breeding program: Peanuts Australia
Agronomy – Small tree high productivity initiative (STHPI):
- Macadamia
- Avocado
- Avocado rootstock trial
- Annual peanut variety trials
- Demonstrating best practice management systems for sugarcane
- Developing farming systems for sugarcane, peanuts and soybean
- Precision agriculture (vegetables)
Physiology:
- Irregular crop bearing in Australian avocados
- Macadamia pollination
Crop protection:
- Plant pathology – citrus disease screening including Alternaria, Phytophthora and citrus tristeza virus in citrus
- Peanut disease trial – the Bundaberg climate is especially suited to disease screening
Vegetable research:
- Precision agriculture
- Sweet potato – insect/nematode research and agronomy
Last updated: 27 Nov 2024