The Society of Precision Agriculture Australia (SPAA) has marked a major milestone in 2026, delivering its annual Precision Ag Expo in Toowoomba, Queensland, on 18–19 March – marking the first time in its more than 20-year history the flagship event has been held outside South Australia and expanded into a two-day program.

For more than two decades, the SPAA PA Expo has provided the Australian agriculture industry with trusted research, practical insights and on-farm innovation, and this year’s event continued that legacy with a strong focus on robotics, automation and data-driven decision-making.

SPAA President Jonathan Medway opened the Expo by reflecting on how far precision agriculture has come since the first Australian yield maps were produced almost 30 years ago.

“Back then, we thought it would be simple – put more fertiliser where the yield was low and that would fix everything,” Mr Medway said.

“Thirty years later, we know that’s not the case. There’s complexity, there’s variability, and there’s still work to do in helping growers understand what these tools can really achieve.”

Day 1 at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) brought together researchers, technologists and growers to explore precision tools in practice, with sessions covering mapping variability, digital zoning for herbicide placement, regulatory considerations, and satellite-driven spot spraying.

The morning plenaries included presentations from Curtin University, Syngenta, Crop Protection Australia and DataFarming, followed by concurrent breakout streams where growers either heard updates on Soil CRC research or learned about the foundational concepts in autonomous farming.

Afternoon sessions highlighted the practical outcomes of UAV sensing, machine learning, smartphone‑based tools, and on‑farm irrigation automation, before concluding with a panel of innovators from SwarmFarm Robotics, DataFarming, Flux Robotics, and Syngenta. 

A central theme throughout the day was the widening gap between available technology and grower confidence in using it.

This was reinforced in the SPAA project update delivered by Executive Officer Angelique McAvoy, who revealed initial national data showing while 82 per cent of participating growers already have machinery capable of variable rate technology (VRT), 71 per cent continue applying blanket fertiliser rates.

“These findings tell us growers aren’t lacking equipment, they’re lacking support,” Ms McAvoy said.  

“What we are seeing is growers have the tools they need to start variable rate management, but they want reassurance that they’re using them correctly and profitably.”

It was a message made even more important given the recent instability in the Middle East which has drawn attention to the vulnerability of global supply chains that Australian agriculture relies on, particularly for fertiliser and fuel.

While these global events are outside farmers’ control, it does present an opportunity to utilise capabilities generated by recent investments in tools, research and extension to manage those pressures.

Mr Medway said PA helps growers understand variability within their paddocks – where nutrients are needed, where they are not, and how crops are responding.

“That knowledge allows farmers to use fertiliser more efficiently, which can reduce unnecessary input costs,” he said.  

“But importantly, it can also improve crop performance and help growers capture more value from the inputs they apply.”

From a survey of 220 grain growers conducted by Grain Producers Australia and supported by SPAA and the Tractor Machinery Association in November 2025, Ms McAvoy noted in her presentation that 44 per cent now report using some form of autonomous machinery, most often in semi‑autonomous modes such as autosteer, guidance and section control.

“There are, however, gaps that remain with some growers still confusing precision agriculture with full autonomy,” she said.

"There is an opportunity for organisations like SPAA to provide clarity and to translate the precision ag practices that will give growers and advises the confidence to implement advanced technologies beyond basic guidance systems.”

Day 2 of the Expo took participants directly into the field, beginning with a visit to a Condamine Plains cotton farm and continuing to the Tosari Smart Farm for demonstrations from Case IH, Data Farming, Carbon Bee and USQ.

The day concluded with a tour of SwarmFarm Robotics, giving growers a rare look inside the development of Australia’s home‑grown autonomous platforms and the engineering behind emerging autonomous implements and operating ecosystem

Mr Medway said these demonstrations show a future that is quickly becoming reality.  

“A few months ago, I saw an autonomous vehicle using camera systems to identify a weed and a laser to kill it,” he said.  

“It wasn’t long ago that this was science fiction but now it’s in the paddock and we don’t have to look too far ahead to see how this will scale and transform everyday farming.”

He added seeing these technologies in commercial environments was critical to building grower confidence.  

“When you watch a robot navigate a paddock or see sensors map a crop in real time, it stops being futuristic and becomes practical,” he said.  

“That’s the kind of shift we need to keep momentum going.”

SPAA acknowledged its partnership with USQ in putting on the event and thanked its sponsors, including Case IH, Hort Innovation, Soil CRC and Toowoomba Regional Council.

The strong turnout and enthusiasm for hands‑on learning confirmed the value of expanding the Expo to a two‑day format, a change SPAA expects will continue in future years.

For more than 20 years, growers have turned to the SPAA Precision Ag Expo to understand what’s coming next.  

This year, in Toowoomba, the message was clear: the technologies that once felt distant are now firmly within reach.