Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry

Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry

About AAGI

Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry (AAGI) is a $92 million dollar investment by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) together with strategic partners Adelaide University, Curtin University, and the University of Queensland. The multi-disciplinary initiative provides analytics support and modern data science technologies to help Australia’s grains growers, agronomists and researchers, improving outcomes at the paddock level and across the entire Australian grains production chain. By bringing together analysts and agricultural experts from AAGI’s many partners across academia, government and industry, the AAGI project empowers data-driven decision making for growers, and delivers research innovations that enhance the productivity, sustainability and global competitiveness of Australia’s grains industry. 

The Adelaide University node of AAGI (AAGI-AU), based at the Biometry Hub at the University’s Waite Campus, boasts nationally renowned expertise across the disciplines of statistics, machine learning, biometry, agronomics, and crop science. 

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The AAGI-AU node also works collaboratively with statisticians and grains researchers from its partners in the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and the Australian National University. 

Contact AAGI-AU
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Analytics support for GRDC-funded investments

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Plant breeding analytics and genetic improvement

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Statistical analysis, experimental design and sampling

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Machine learning and artificial intelligence for grains research

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Statistical computing and software development

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Industry upskilling and professional development

Explore AAGI

AAGI-AU’s activities operate through three main programs:

  • Service & Support: AAGI-AU provides analytics and statistical support to grains researchers working directly on GRDC-funded RD&E investments. 
  • Research & Development: AAGI-AU contributes to cutting-edge research aimed at improving the productivity, sustainability and competitiveness of Australia’s grains industry on the world stage.
  • Upskilling & Awareness: AAGI-AU engages with researchers working across the grains industry to promote novel methods and technologies, improving the analytics capacity of the sector. 

These programs reinforce each other through AAGI’s Program Improvement Cycle. Practical experience from working closely with growers and domain experts in the Service & Support program yields insights into the emerging needs for research and advanced analytics. These needs guide the research focus areas of the Research & Development program, and novel breakthroughs are then disseminated back to industry via initiatives in the Upskilling & Awareness program. In this way, research outcomes and improvements in analytics benefit the growers and agronomists working in the field, and the R&D focus areas are continuously tuned to the ever-changing demands of Australia’s grains industry. 

AAGI-AU, together with AAGI’s strategic and project partners, provides analytics and computational support to over 150 priority GRDC-funded research investments. AAGI provides robust experimental design and best-in-class analytics service for these investments, delivering practical benefits to Australian grains growers and researchers. AAGI-AU supports grains researchers working on a diverse array of projects from domain areas including:

  • Genetic Improvement in Breeding Programs
  • Agronomic Modelling
  • Weed, Disease, and Pest Management (and Analysis)
  • Grain Yield and Grain Quality Improvement
  • Data Infrastructure and Software Tools for Grains Growers and Researchers 

AAGI leads extensive research and development activities across its strategic and project partners, pushing the frontiers of modern science to deliver productivity, efficiency, and a competitive edge to Australia’s grains industry and its wider agricultural sectors. The AAGI-AU node boasts an especially multidisciplinary team, bringing together expertise from a diverse range of science disciplines to tackle research questions through novel collaborations. AAGI-AU’s research strengths include: 

  • Experimental Design & Sampling 
  • Statistics and Advanced Data Analytics 
  • Causal Learning 
  • Decision Agriculture 
  • Plant Breeding Analytics 
  • Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence 
  • Statistical Computing and Software/App Development 

AAGI is committed to delivering training and skills development in domain-specialised analytics for growers and researchers working in Australia’s grains industry. The AAGI-AU node at Adelaide University provides tailored workshops and short courses on statistics, computation and experimental design for agronomic research. AAGI-AU also provides continued learning through communities of practice, professional development for AAGI analysts, and supervision of Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students. These development initiatives ensure long-term capacity in analytics linked to agriculture, delivering lasting impact to Australia’s grains sector. Two particularly notable and long-running initiatives are:

AAGI-AU/Biometry Hub Training Program & Community of Practice

AAGI-AU, in partnership with the Biometry Hub, delivers practical and hands-on training for statistics and data science in the Australian grains and agricultural research communities. Through a suite of accessible workshops, grains researchers learn to use R and RStudio for managing their experimental design, analysis, and reporting. Designed and taught by experienced industry practitioners, the workshops are tailored to the real-world challenges of agronomic experiments and are delivered in a flexible and supportive learning environment.

Additionally, graduates of the AAGI-AU/Biometry Hub Training Program are invited to join a monthly Community of Practice, which offers a collaborative space for industry practitioners and statistics experts to discuss challenges, share insights, and receive guidance on applying statistical methods to real research problems.

To learn more and to be notified of upcoming workshops, please sign up to the mailing list.

StatsPD@Waite

The StatsPD@Waite is a seminar series hosted by the Biometry Hub, showcasing work of significance and recent research developments that advance best-practice analytics in Australian agricultural research. For over 20 years, the seminar series has engaged its participants through open and practice-informed discussion, appealing to students, early-career researchers, and experienced practitioners alike.

For more information about the StatsPD@Waite seminar series and to join the mailing list to be notified of upcoming seminars, please email the seminar coordinator Dr Beata Sznajder. 

The Adelaide University node of the AAGI Project brings together domain experts and world-class researchers across a diverse array of disciplines.

Assoc. Prof. Julian Taylor

AAGI-AU Project Lead

Julian Taylor

The Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry (AAGI) Project is an investment of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), and is led by the three strategic partners Adelaide University, Curtin University and the University of Queensland, working together with project partners, GRDC research partners, and other industry stakeholders to improve the analytics capacity of the Australian grains sector. 

AAGI collaborates closely with experienced associate partners and project partners across the world, including leading Universities, state and federal government research agencies, and commercial companies working in the grains and agricultural industries. These partners support AAGI with domain expertise, specialist expertise for agricultural research, and state-of-the-art data analytics technologies. These partners include:

  • Australian National University 
  • Queensland Department of Primary Industries 
  • University of Western Australia 
  • Waginingen University & Research 
  • Hi-Phen 
  • Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development 
  • NGIS Australia 

Contact us

Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry (AAGI)

Location

Location
Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry (AAGI) 
Adelaide University
Level 2, Waite Building
Waite Campus, Urrbrae SA 5064

Telephone

Phone: +61 8 8313 2246

Email

Email: aagi_au@adelaide.edu.au