Remote sensing offers significant opportunities to transform agricultural production systems today. Developing these technologies to ensure they deliver measurable benefits to growers involves ongoing collaboration between industry, agricultural agencies and researchers.

This centre is about bringing these capabilities together to address industry priorities, and providing the scientific expertise necessary to validate their effectiveness on-farm.

Professor Andrew Robson – Director AARSC

The Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre (AARSC) is based at the University of New England (UNE) – one of Australia’s oldest and leading agricultural research organisations.

UNE has a well-demonstrated and respected reputation for delivering strong applied remote sensing research outcomes to industry. With extensive remote sensing and agronomic research backgrounds as well as industry engagement, the team understand how to best calibrate, validate and interpret spatial information in order to address specific agricultural needs. The AARSC also undertake extensive agricultural land classifications to assist industry better understand the extent of production as well as be better prepared for biosecurity threats and natural disaster response. 

Complementing the development of remote sensing applications, the AARSC have commenced the delivery of targeted remote sensing short courses that provide first time users with the basic understanding and tools to undertake their own applied remote sensing analysis. These courses will ensure end users have a strong understanding of the science as well as the basic skills to take full advantage of the current boom in space and Ag technologies.

The AARSC currently leads or collaborates in remote sensing projects across a dozen agricultural and horticultural industries and have a proven record in developing national collaborative, multi-industry and multidisciplinary strategies in response to specific industry needs.