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Belmont Research Station opens gates for Beef 2021

24 March 2021

CQUniversity will showcase a range of agricultural technology when it opens the gates to Belmont Research Station for a full day property tour on Thursday' May 6' during Beef 2021.

As the premier research station for the northern Australia beef industry for over 70 years' the Belmont tour will feature a range of agricultural technology with presenters advising how these technologies can be connected for a whole-of-property management.

CQUniversity's Associate Professor of Agriculture Mark Trotter said the tour would link a range of agtech available at Beef 2021 and aimed to educate patrons on how these systems can be connected for better business outcomes for land managers.

"CQUniversity has engaged a number of its tech and industry partners to participate in the tour to help participants gain a whole-of-business approach to ag tech'" Dr Trotter said.

"CQUniversity has invested substantial research manpower into a range of agricultural technologies in recent years – such as smart tags and our DataMuster software – and we are pleased to be able to showcase these technologies to our beef industry colleagues during Beef 2021.

"We also want to demonstrate how these individual technologies can work together to develop and support a whole of property management plan for business operators."

Owned by producer group AgForce and managed by CQUni' Belmont Research Station is a 3260-hectare property located 37 kilometres north of Rockhampton on the Fitzroy River. It provides an ideal environment for research into livestock production in the tropics and sub-tropics of northern Australia.

During the tour guests will experience presentations and demonstrations on:

  • the improved DataMuster walk-over weigh system and its use for NLIS compliance and herd management;
  • how to link DataMuster cattle production information with Department of Environment paddock mapping;
  • inspection of a new paddock-scale riparian recovery trial which is measuring productivity and environmental changes; and
  • cattle smart tag and collar technologies and how these can connect with other systems.

Guests will also hear a panel discussion at neighbouring Beef Breeding Services on the latest in genetics technology' followed by a tour of the Belmont for Beef Breeding services lab.

From Belmont' participants will be invited to tour the Central Queensland Innovation Research Precinct in Rockhampton where patrons will witness new on-animal sensor technologies in action. These technologies track individual animals and monitor behaviour change.

For more information about the tour visit beefaustralia.com.au/propertytours.