Victorian agriculture researchers now have greater capacity to explore medicinal innovations and improved food production thanks to the opening of new facilities at Agribio research centre at La Trobe University.

Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney today opened new research glasshouses at La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus following a $10 million Allan Labor Government investment to expand resources for Victorian agriculture and food research.

La Trobe invested $3.5 million of the funding to the glasshouses through the Agriculture Production Platform project. The facility now includes controlled environment pods to create new and improved plant varieties.

The facility supports scientists to develop medicinal agriculture innovations, drought resistant plants, crops that need less pesticides and use high-tech visual apparatus to detect and link plants’ physical characteristics with genes. The technology enables plant breeders to quickly determine the genetic material to take forward and breed.

The remaining $6.5 million will fund the Applied Industry Agriculture Platforms project to develop dedicated plant phenomics growth chambers with remote digital access for regional industry, researchers and students.

Delivered through the Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund, the project supports 120 jobs related to new and expanded research, industry infrastructure and partnerships.

The $350 million Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund supports universities with financial assistance for capital works, applied research and research infrastructure to create more jobs and grow Victoria’s economy.