The SPAA Precision Ag Expo 2026 brought together growers, researchers, advisers, technology providers and agribusiness leaders for two days of knowledge sharing, demonstrations and industry collaboration in Toowoomba, Queensland.
Now in its 20+ year history, the Expo continues to showcase practical innovation in precision agriculture, robotics and digital farming systems that support productivity, efficiency and sustainability on farm.
Held on 18–19 March 2026 at the University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, the event featured a mix of presentations, hands-on demonstrations and field-based learning experiences across the region.
The 2026 program highlighted the rapid advancement of precision agriculture and its real-world application across Australian farming systems.
Key themes included:
Across the two days, attendees engaged directly with researchers, growers and technology developers working at the forefront of agricultural innovation.
Thank you to all speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees who contributed to the success of the 2026 Expo.
See the event photo gallery below for highlights from the two days.
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The Expo included field visits and industry demonstrations across leading agricultural innovation sites in the Toowoomba region:
These tours provided attendees with direct exposure to operational precision agriculture systems in real farming environments.
The Expo featured presentations from leading researchers, agronomists and industry experts across Australia.
| Wes Anderson Croptimistic Technology Presentation topic: Easy wins, easy mistakes Wes Anderson is Vice President of Agronomy at Croptimistic Technology, based in the Lockyer Valley in south-east Queensland. He works closely with farming businesses implementing SWAT MAPS variable rate technology and supports agronomists using the SWAT ecosystem of tools globally. Raised on a mixed farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, Wes holds a Bachelor of Agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan and brings more than 20 years of agronomy experience across Canada and Australia. His work focuses on using precision agriculture and data-driven tools to improve farm productivity and sustainability.
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| Justine Baillie University of Southern Queensland Presentation topic: Emerging PA technologies from grain cart automaion and real-time variable rate nitrogen application to precision application of films for evaporation mitigation Justine Baillie is Co-Lead of the Ag Tech Adoption Team at the University of Southern Queensland. The team delivers Australia’s only dedicated Ag Tech degree and undertakes industry-funded research across digital agriculture, farm automation, water management technologies and agricultural extension. Justine’s work focuses on helping the next generation of agricultural professionals understand, evaluate and adopt emerging technologies shaping modern farming. Justine will be presenting alongside Mike Scobie.
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| Dr Kirsten Barlow Precision Ag Presentation topic: Precision applications for profit Dr Kirsten Barlow is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist with more than 25 years’ experience in agricultural and soil science research. Her work focuses on understanding soil variability and helping farming businesses make better management decisions. Over the past seven years with Precision Ag, Kirsten has worked closely with growers and agronomists to apply soil mapping and data tools that support targeted input use, improved soil management and increased productivity.
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| Christian Capp GRoh Ag Presentation topic: Pathway to autonomy workshop Christian Capp is Director of GRoh Ag, a precision agriculture consultancy based in Goondiwindi, Queensland. With more than 20 years’ experience in the agriculture industry, he works with farming businesses to turn paddock data into practical decisions. Christian specialises in machine optimisation, data management and improving how farm data is captured and used. His work focuses on helping growers set up technology correctly and unlock the full value of precision agriculture tools on farm.
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| Dr Michael Crawford Soil CRC Presentation topic: Highlights from Soil CRC research Dr Michael Crawford is Chief Executive Officer of the CRC for High Performance Soils and has more than 25 years’ experience across agricultural research, extension and science leadership. With a PhD in Soil Science from the University of Adelaide, his career has focused on soil science, farming systems and natural resource management. Michael has also contributed to major national initiatives including the National Soil RD&E Strategy, National Soil Strategy and National Soil Action Plan, helping translate soil research into practical outcomes for agriculture.
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| Dr Julia Easton Curtin University Presentation topic: Mapping variability: Data, decisions and the shift toward automation Associate Professor Julia Easton is Development Manager for Research Innovation at Curtin University’s Centre for Crop and Disease Management. A plant physiologist by training, she brings more than 20 years’ experience across farming systems, agronomy, spatial data analytics and precision agriculture. Julia leads the Agri Analytics Hub, a Food Agility CRC initiative focused on analysing within-paddock and whole-farm variability to improve crop performance, profitability and input decisions.
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| Quentin Feery-Lawrence Queensland Department of Primary Industries and CottonInfo Presentation topic: Two farms, two approaches: A shared journey into Smart Farms Quentin Feery-Lawrence is a Technology Solutions Architect with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Digital Agriculture Technical Lead with CottonInfo. His work focuses on practical digital and on-farm technology systems that improve productivity and resilience in agriculture. Quentin specialises in regional connectivity, IoT and sensor integration, farm automation and data interoperability, helping producers adopt agtech solutions with confidence.
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| Dr Uwe Grewer University of Southern Queensland Presentation topic: DynaSoil: An online decision-support tool for prioritising soil ameliorations in grain production systems Dr Uwe Grewer is a researcher in sustainable rural development at the University of Southern Queensland. His work examines the links between environmental sustainability and farm business performance. Using cropping system modelling, econometrics and data science, Uwe analyses how different management strategies influence productivity, profitability and sustainability in farming systems.
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 | Tom Holcombe SwarmFarm Robotics Presentation topic: Own your autonomy: Autofill and the ecosystem around emerging technology Tom Holcombe is the Portfolio Manager for SwarmFarm Robotics. Growing up on a family farm in NSW, he brings strong practical knowledge of farming systems alongside engineering expertise. Tom has been instrumental in SwarmFarm’s machine development and now works closely with growers to support autonomous system adoption across WA.
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.jpg) | Jordy Kitschke Flux Robotics Jordy Kitschke is Founder of Flux Robotics, an agtech startup developing autonomous robotics and artificial intelligence solutions for weed management. With a strong interest in practical innovation for agriculture, Jordy works with a global team of engineers to design technologies that reduce reliance on herbicides while improving farm efficiency. Flux Robotics focuses on autonomous systems that detect and manage weeds with precision, supporting more sustainable and cost-effective farming systems.
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| Derek Long University of Southern Queensland Presentation topic: Smart phones and precision ag Derek Long is a nationally award-winning lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland and a researcher with the Centre for Agricultural Engineering. His work focuses on image analysis for agricultural applications, developing systems that use cameras on drones, tractors and smartphones to monitor crops, livestock and machinery. His research aims to automate labour-intensive tasks and improve monitoring and decision-making across agriculture.
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| Luke Malan Aglantis Presentation topic: From concept to paddock: Lessons from irrigation automation on Australian farms Luke Malan is Founder and Managing Director of Aglantis, a Queensland-based agtech company focused on precision agriculture and irrigation automation. With more than a decade of experience working alongside Australian growers, Luke has led multiple government-funded projects focused on improving irrigation efficiency and precision agriculture adoption. His work centres on developing practical technologies that support more informed and efficient farm management.
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| Tim Neale DataFarming Presentation topic: weedSAT: Turning your conventional boom into a spot sprayer using satellite imagery Tim Neale is Founder of DataFarming and one of Australia’s leading voices in precision agriculture. With more than 30 years’ experience in agriculture across Australia and internationally, he has spent the past two decades building agtech businesses focused on improving on-farm decision-making. Tim was named Australian Agricultural Consultant of the Year in 2018 and Australian AgriTech Leader of the Year in 2023. The DataFarming platform now supports more than 50,000 farms in 50 countries.
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 | Dr Rohan Rainbow Crop Protection Australia Presentation topic: Precision in crop protection: The interplay of technological innovation and regulation challenges Dr Rohan Rainbow is Managing Director of Crop Protection Australia, a business of Rainbow & Associates Pty Ltd established in 2001. Originally from a farming family background, he has more than 30 years of experience across agronomy, farming systems development, crop protection technologies and biosecurity. Rohan also works extensively in agricultural engineering, precision agriculture, robotics and automation, focusing on integrating emerging technologies to support practical innovation and industry adoption in modern farming systems.
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| Mike Scobie University of Southern Queensland Presentation topic: Emerging PA technologies from grain cart automaion and real-time variable rate nitrogen application to precision application of films for evaporation mitigation Mike Scobie is Co-Lead of the Ag Tech Adoption Team at the University of Southern Queensland. The team delivers Australia’s only dedicated Ag Tech degree and undertakes industry research across digital agriculture, farm automation, water technologies and agricultural extension. Mike’s work focuses on helping agricultural professionals build the skills needed to adopt and apply emerging technologies in modern farming systems. Mike will be presenting alongside Justine Baillie.
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| Lara Vallejo Roosdorp Syngenta Presentation topic: Digital mapping for residual herbicide placement, zoning in geospatial layers Lara Vallejo Roosdorp is a Digital Agronomist at Syngenta specialising in soil science, digital agriculture and sustainable farming systems. Her work focuses on using soil data, mapping and emerging technologies to support more precise crop management. Lara currently leads a GRDC-funded research project exploring variable rate application of pre-emergent herbicides in Australian broadacre systems.
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| Dr Kattie Weigh NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Presentation topic: Assessing soil health using biological indicators Dr Kattie Weigh is a soil scientist with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development specialising in soil microbiology and soil health. Her research focuses on understanding soil microbial communities and their role in crop productivity, soil constraints and soil carbon stabilisation. Her work supports improved understanding of soil biological processes and better soil management in farming systems.
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| Dr Yiyi Xiong University of Southern Queensland Presentation topic: UAV multispectral imagery with machine learning for soilborne common root rot detection in multiple wheat seasons Dr Yiyi Xiong is a crop improvement researcher and digital agriculture specialist at the University of Southern Queensland. Her work focuses on remote sensing and geospatial technologies for crop health monitoring, pest and disease detection and precision agriculture. Yiyi has more than eight years’ experience in field trials and over five years applying machine learning to cropping systems. She is also an accredited UAV pilot with ChemCert certification. |
 University of Southern Queensland |
.png){kind=icon} Case IH |  Hort Innovation |
|  Toowoomba Regional Council |
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