Working with Innovation Central Melbourne, the Cisco-La Trobe centre for AI and IoT, and La Trobe University, agricultural technology company Aglantis has turned a complex irrigation challenge into a scalable, AI-enabled system now operating across vast sugar cane farms in north Queensland.
On large sugar cane farms in north Queensland, irrigation is both essential and unforgiving. Water needs to be delivered at the right time, in the right amount, across enormous distances – often in remote locations where manual monitoring is slow, imprecise, and expensive.
For growers working near the Great Barrier Reef, the stakes are even higher. Over-watering wastes energy and money, while runoff carrying fertiliser can contribute to serious environmental damage downstream.
This was the challenge facing Aglantis, an Australian ag-tech company focused on improving irrigation management at scale. Rather than developing a solution in isolation, Aglantis chose to partner with La Trobe University, working closely with the Cisco–La Trobe Centre for AI and IoT led by La Trobe Distinguished Professor and Cisco Research Chair Wei Xiang.
“What they were trying to solve is a real problem for farmers,” Prof Xiang says. “Irrigation is energy intensive, it’s expensive, and it’s environmentally sensitive – especially in that part of Queensland.”
At the time, many farms still relied on fixed-irrigation timers. “You could end up with it pouring rain and still irrigating,” Prof Xiang says. “Or the soil is dry, but it’s not time yet, so you wait.”
A different way to build
The partnership between Aglantis and La Trobe took shape in an unconventional way. Rather than outsourcing development or hiring remotely, Aglantis funded a dedicated research and development presence embedded within the Cisco–La Trobe Centre for AI and IoT.
“They were looking to recruit engineers,” Prof Xiang says. “I suggested a different model – set up an R&D centre with us, so they could access our facilities, our ecosystem, and our people.”
Under this model, specialist Internet of Things engineers were employed through La Trobe but worked exclusively on the Aglantis system, using university infrastructure and collaborating closely with researchers. For Aglantis, it avoided the cost and complexity of building a standalone R&D operation in a remote region. For La Trobe, it created a direct pathway from research to deployment.
“It’s a win-win situation,” Prof Xiang says. “They get the staff and the capability they need, and we can demonstrate our technology working in the field.”
Together, the teams designed and deployed an advanced automated irrigation platform using long-range, low-power wireless communication. The system integrates soil moisture sensors, water-alert sensors, pressure transducers and flow meters, feeding real-time data into a cloud-based analytics platform.
The goal was simple but demanding: deliver the optimal amount of water at the optimal time, automatically.
“The purpose of this product is we don’t waste a single drop,” Prof Xiang says. “We collect data from the soil and from the weather, and we figure out the best timing for irrigation.”
The result is a system capable of operating across more than 90,000 hectares of sugar cane farms, automating irrigation decisions, and reducing manual intervention. By responding to real conditions rather than fixed schedules, growers can save water, reduce electricity use, and improve crop outcomes.
Just as importantly, the system helps minimise excess runoff, supporting efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef from agricultural pollution.
From research to commercial reality
After three years of joint development, Aglantis launched its first commercial smart-irrigation product in late 2024. The platform has since attracted significant industry attention, with coverage across agricultural and technology media.
For Aglantis, the partnership delivered more than technical capability. “Working with La Trobe gave us access to expertise and infrastructure we couldn’t have built alone,” says Aglantis CEO and co-founder Luke Malan. “Embedding our development within the Cisco–La Trobe Centre allowed us to move faster, validate our approach with confidence, and take a complex idea all the way through to a commercial product.”
For La Trobe, the project is a clear example of how university–industry collaboration can shorten the path from invention to innovation.
“This is exactly the kind of impact we’re aiming for,” Prof Xiang says. “Not just publishing research, but implementing it in a way that helps industry, helps farmers, and helps the environment.”
