Critical gaps in biopesticide capability, regulation and safe use will be addressed by a new training centre led by The University of Queensland.
The ARC Training Centre for Advancing Capability in Biopesticides for Crops (Adv-BioCrop Centre) will be led by Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation’s Professor Femi Akinsanmi.
The Adv-BioCrop Centre is one of five national research hubs and training centres UQ will establish to address future workforce and technology needs, supported by $24.6 million from the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Industrial Transformation Research Program (ITRP).
The University of Queensland (northern node) will focus on tropical and subtropical crops, while Charles Sturt University (southern node) will focus on subtropical and temperate crops.
Professor Akinsanmi said the new centre, awarded $5 million by the ARC, with similar levels of co-investments and contributions from industry partners, aims to create a transformative on-the-ground shift in how pests and diseases are managed.
“There is an urgent need for skilled professionals. Our plan is to deliver targeted training that builds industry capacity and is underpinned by strategic and applied research,” Professor Akinsanmi said.
The Adv-BioCrop Centre will start in early 2027, characterising novel biopesticides and producing highly skilled personnel; validating biological solutions to protect crop value; and producing technical guidelines to support product registration and farmer adoption.
Professor Akinsanmi said Australian agriculture generates $71.5 billion in annual exports. Crop protection products, mostly chemicals, enable almost three-quarters of this production. Chemical use has increased by 53 per cent in just 5 years.
“This situation is being driven by climate, regulatory and market changes. Without a fundamental shift in our crop protection approach from chemical to biological solutions, Australia faces significant productivity losses and risks ceding $3 billion in export markets to competitors.
“Biopesticides are being sought to replace synthetic chemical pesticides. Enabling the availability of safe and effective biopesticides for use by Australian farmers is an important part of supporting the sustainability and longevity of the Australian agriculture industry.
“We will continue to develop capability for assessing biopesticide products, recognising it will play a critical and much greater role in facilitating the availability of these products into the future.”
Professor Akinsanmi said the new centre will help Australia maintain access to global markets while supporting the development of new commercial products.
“Australians will also benefit from reduced pesticide residues in food and water, improved occupational safety for agricultural workers, and less polluted natural environments,” he said.
The Australian partner organisations broadly span national agencies, state departments, Australian SMEs and not-for-profit organisations. The international partners have strong links to biological pesticide science and research, and overseas pesticide regulatory authorities, providing access to critical protocols, research frameworks and capacity development opportunities.
The partner organisations for the Adv-BioCrop Centre are listed on the ARC website.
Media contacts: Professor Femi Akinsanmi, mobile +61 401 583 775, o.akinsanmi@uq.edu.au; QAAFI media, Rebecca Thyer, mobile +61 401 161 907, r.thyer@uq.edu.au
Photos and images available from Dropbox.
The Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation is a research institute at The University of Queensland, established with and supported by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries.
