Improved crop varieties will be the focus of CSIRO with the purchase of a 77 hectare property in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane.
The national science agency will establish its sub-tropical agricultural research station at Forest Hill after quitting its leased site at the nearby University of Queensland's Gatton campus.
Fake meats are likely also on the menu as the CSIRO push continues into promoting alternative protein products.
CSIRO says the station is located on prime agricultural land which would enable it to continue its research in support of agriculture in the north, including new and improved crop varieties, agricultural tools, and agronomy.
The new Forest Hill Agricultural Research Station at Forest Hill will be a focal point of cropping research.
CSIRO first started research at the Gatton site through its Cooper Laboratory in 1936.
CSIRO agriculture and food director Dr Michiel van Lookeren Campagne said the property will allow CSIRO to retain a strategically important place to continue northern cropping zone research.
"Forest Hill's location allows us to conduct high-tech field trials and observations for crops throughout the northern cropping zone, which broadly extends from central Queensland to central New South Wales," Dr van Lookeren Campagne said.
"By acquiring this property, we will maintain our national footprint and be able to continue our research into farming systems, digital technologies and crops such as legumes and wheat.
"It's also important for us to remain part of the local community, and to continue our close engagements with The University of Queensland, the agricultural industries and R&D providers at Gatton and across the Darling Downs and Western Downs regions."
The Forest Hill site will allow CSIRO to continue the leading multi-disciplinary cropping research conducted at Gatton, from digital agricultural capabilities such as phenomics and simulation tools, systems agronomy, and the breeding of new varieties.
Research at the site will include a variety of different crops, including legumes such as soybeans, as well as wheat, barley and sorghum.
CSIRO said infrastructure would be gradually updated as research staff relocate to the site.
The property has access to water for irrigation and existing farming facilities.
Dr van Lookeren Campagne said the new site forms an important part of CSIRO's commitment to tackling agriculture's biggest challenges.
"Research at the Forest Hill site will help us progress work reducing the impacts of drought and producing an additional $10 billion of high-quality protein products growing Australia's agricultural sector to the goal of $100 billion."
Scientists are aiming to grow Australia's agriculture and food production by $20 billion over the next decade.
The CSIRO plans to spend $150 million in three main areas, what it calls missions.
Those missions aim to tackle drought, boost food exports and continue its controversial push into the alternative protein or fake meat industries.
CSIRO has been asked for details on the price paid for the property.
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