Melbourne School of Engineering WATER, ENVIRONMENT AND AGRICULTURE PROGRAM Melbourne School of Engineering 1 WATER, ENVIRONMENT AND AGRICULTURE PROGRAM The earth’s natural environment and its food supply, cities and economies are all fundamentally dependent on water. Water innovation is vital to a sustainable future. Water security consistently rates as one In recent times, Australia has kept pace The Water, Environment and Agriculture of the biggest risks and strategic challenges with growing water demands through Program continues this work with industry confronting humanity. There is a growing strategic investments in capability and to drive innovation in water systems, through imbalance between supply and demand institutions. Strong research institutions, applied research and training. We work with caused by rapid population growth and including the University of Melbourne, farmers, river and catchment managers, industrialisation, over-extraction of water, have underpinned Australia’s advances in and water utilities to develop practical chronic pollution and climate change. water technology and policy including solutions for their water challenges. A Deteriorating water security poses grave transformations in salinity management, sustained, place-based and participatory threats both to the global economy and irrigation supply, flood design, basin program of innovation, linking researchers regional security. planning and river restoration. with farmers and natural resources managers is at the core of our proposition. Our interdisciplinary team of researchers is tackling complex problems in four research Professor Michael Stewardson themes: Agricultural technology, river basins, environmental water and urban water Program Leader Our research program includes the following themes: infrastructure. WATER, ENVIRONMENT AND AGRICULTURE PROGRAM We look forward to learning from you about Agriculture technology Environmental water your industry needs and working together to deliver innovative solutions that result in transformative and practical outcomes for River basins Urban water infrastructure communities, industry and the environment. 2 The University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is uniquely placed to provide holistic approaches to the three pillars of water productivity: water planning, infrastructure and operations (technology), and governance. We have a strong track record of collaborations in research and development, including new technologies to support the improved operation of water infrastructure, the gathering of water intelligence and subsequent decision-making. Professor Rob Vertessy FTSE Enterprise Professor Water Resources Professor Robert Vertessy FTSE is an Enterprise Professor at the University of Melbourne and an Honorary Professor in the Climate Change Institute at the Australian National University. In 2016, he retired from being Director of Meteorology and CEO of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Prior to his 10-year tenure at the Bureau, Professor Vertessy led a distinguished 20-year research career in the hydrological sciences, specialising in catchment hydrology experimentation and modelling. Professor Vertessy is bringing his industry, strategy and start-up experience to the Water, Environment and Agriculture Program to make sure our innovative research is meeting industry and global standards. The University of Melbourne and Rubicon’s successful 15-year partnership has seen major developments in irrigation water supply technology. Melbourne School of Engineering 3 AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY BOOSTING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT Research overview Theme Leader Associate Professor The University of Melbourne has a unique research skillset that combines high-resolution remote sensing of plant and water status, Dongryeol Ryu with control systems for water in agriculture and an understanding of the interplay between water, nutrients and soils. This provides a strong foundation for incorporating engineering technologies with the agronomic aspects of managing plant production Remote sensing of water and vegetation, microwave in agriculture. As part of this, the University drives innovation in drone-based sensing via the Melbourne Unmanned Aircraft Systems remote sensing of soil Integration Platform (MUASIP). moisture, hydrologic data assimilation, Most existing ‘precision agriculture’ programs, especially those led by engineering disciplines, focus on isolated components such as land surface processes modelling hardware, data analysis and decision support, or on-farm management. Our strength comes from the highly cross-disciplinary team from across the university, and research and development targets and visions set in close consultation with agricultural end-user groups. Researchers Professor Andrew Western: Soil water process, catchment hydrology Capabilities » Sensor information processing for » Development of hyperspectral remote data-based decision making sensing algorithms to map agricultural Dr Lola Suarez: Plant physiology, remote » Very-high-resolution mapping of plant plant diseases sensing, spectroscopy vigour, water stress and diseases Impact Dr Ranjith R. Unnithan: Electronic sensors, » Satellite remote sensing of soil moisture » Development of remote sensing » International leadership in satellite remote CMOS image sensors and plant water use algorithm to detect illegal waste disposal, sensing of soil water and vegetation funded by Environment Protection Dr Eileen Perry: Agricultural remote sensing » Crop and plant-specific multispectral and » Leading collaborative operation of Authority Victoria (MSE, AgVictoria) thermal infrared sensor development UAV-borne sensing via MUASIP for » Research underpins Rubicon Water’s Dr Sigfredo Fuentes: Wine science, » Model and observation integration for research and industry applications Total Channel Control package agricultural sensing (FVAS) optimal real-time prediction of water implemented in irrigation districts around and vegetation » Pioneering ground soil water sensor Dr Dorin Gupta: Crop stress and diseases, networks used by international microwave Australia, USA and China. It forms an sustainable crop production (FVAS) » Seasonal forecasting of soil water and important part of the upgrade of the remote sensing community Dr Alexis Pang: Proximal sensing, in-farm crop yield irrigation infrastructure in Victoria. » Integration of ground monitoring networks agtech for efficiency (FVAS) » Smart irrigation system development and satellite remote sensing for optimal guided by meteorological and soil Professor Erik Weyer: Modelling and control irrigation scheduling water information from satellites of water resource systems, system identification and signal processing » Modelling, control and automation of » Development of UAV-borne thermal water resources systems sensing to monitor plant water stress Professor Michael Cantoni: Automation in horticultural fields of water distribution networks, control and signal processing 4 The University of Melbourne Partnerships and collaborations “I’ve certainly grown a better product, a cleaner product, a better product and we have Australian research institutions Australian government and industry been able to achieve that by fast watering and control watering. I’ve been irrigating CSIRO Agriculture Victoria (Department of Economic close to 40 years, and to actually learn so much in one year made my other 39 years look Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources) Monash University pretty ordinary.” University of Sydney Australian Processing Tomato Research Council Russell Pell University of Tasmania Farmer and participant in irrigation supply modernisation North East Catchment Management Authority RMIT University (NECMA), Victoria International research institutions Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India Authority, Victoria Nanjing University of Information Science Geoscience Australia and Technology, China Bureau of Meteorology National Taiwan University, Taiwan Department of Environment, Land, Water Seoul National University, Korea and Planning, Victoria Sungkyunkwan University, Korea Rubicon Water Tsinghua University, China Environment Protection Authority Victoria Technical University of Vienna, Austria XM2 Aerial Pty Ltd Harvard University, USA Hort-Eye Pty Ltd Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA International government and industry University of Washington, USA United States Department of Agriculture, University of Houston, USA Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA-JPL), USA Rural Research Institute, Korea A medium-size drone equipped with the hyperspectral sensing system taken by another toy drone Rural Community Corporation, Korea Melbourne School of Engineering 5 RIVER BASINS MANAGING WATER IN A CHANGING AND VARIABLE CLIMATE Research overview Theme Leader: Professor QJ Wang The Melbourne School of Engineering has research and consulting expertise in hydroclimatology, catchment Hydroclimate forecasting, stochastic hydrology, hydrology, groundwater, irrigation, catchment water quality and analysis of water resource systems including irrigation agricultural and environmental water uses. Researchers We conduct world-leading research on catchment responses to climate and water use change, incorporating Professor Andrew Western: hydrological forecasting with lead times from hours to seasons, along with statistical and computational hydrology