Northwest NSW
Regional innovation, global impact
The University of Sydney manages facilities in Northern NSW, including Narrabri and Nowley, both located approximately 500 kilometers northwest of Sydney.
Our state-of-the-art facilities enable groundbreaking research in areas such as plant breeding, agronomy, and digital agriculture.
By leveraging our expert researchers and resources, we are driving innovation and shaping the future of Australian agriculture.
Located in Narrabri, the I.A. Watson Grains Research Centre is the northern arm of the Plant Breeding Institute. The School of Life and Environmental Sciences and the Sydney Institute of Agriculture (SIA) use the Centre for large-scale field trials, plant breeding, crop genetics, agronomy, farming systems, digital agriculture, weeds, and soil research and for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.
Grains research is conducted by invitation of the governing board of trustees of the NSW Wheat Research Foundation. This research collaboration has been in place for 60 years.
The Centre is a hub for grains research in north-western NSW and our partnerships ensure that the knowledge, technology and genetic materials developed nationally and globally are accessed to the benefit of the Australian agriculture sector.
The University of Sydney, Wheat Research Foundation and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) have made significant commitments to the Narrabri site in recent years, including the development of the Managed Environment Facility, state-of-the-art glasshouses, bird and bee-proof enclosures, regional phenotyping capacity, archive seed store and improved irrigation infrastructure.
Each year about 40,000 research plots are planted in collaboration with 20 public and private organisations.
I had the opportunity to conduct plant research at the University’s Narrabri campus and loved the town.
PhD student
“I had the opportunity to conduct plant research at the University’s Narrabri campus and loved the town.”
PhD student
Llara farm is part of our Narrabri Farms network. It is a large commercial research farm which is 1800 ha comprising of 60% cropping, 35% grazing and 5% native vegetation forest. The main crops grown are wheat, faba beans, chickpeas, canola, sorghum and dryland cotton. The farm also runs beef cattle.
Llara farm has significant environmental assets that are available for teaching and research related to multifunctional landscapes comprised of integrated agricultural and natural environments working together to provide vital ecosystem services that sustain life.
The farm has been set up for irrigation and enables small plot research for the I.A. Watson Grains Research Centre and other industry stakeholders for additional crops apart from cereals.
The E J Holtsbaum Agricultural Research Institute (also known as Nowley Farm) is a 2,083 hectare used for both animal production and plant production. The property was gifted to the University by E. J. (Ted) Holtsbaum.
Nowley is part of a dryland cotton farming system program funded by Cotton Research and Development Corporation. The dryland cropping area is one of the largest available to the University and provides students and researchers with a great platform for innovative farming systems research.
Animal research programs at Nowley are focused on remote monitoring of cattle behaviour and production, and pasture production for optimised management of livestock welfare and production on farm.
Nowley is a site for precision agriculture management research, utilising sensors and trials of various management techniques to enhance soil health and boost crop yields.
Nowley Farm provided hands on experience in soil sampling and crop management, with valuable insights from the farm manager, agronomist and our professors.
Bachelor of Agricultural Science student
“Nowley Farm provided hands on experience in soil sampling and crop management, with valuable insights from the farm manager, agronomist and our professors.”
Bachelor of Agricultural Science student
Email: kieran.shephard@sydney.edu.au
Phone: +61 428 923 993
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