Facilities and infrastructure
UQ Gatton Farms offers a comprehensive range of advanced machinery and state-of-the-art facilities designed to support a wide array of agricultural research and commercial projects.
With resources tailored to meet the needs of researchers, industry clients, and students, our facilities enable highly efficient and precise operations across various agricultural disciplines, from livestock management to crop production.
Crop production
UQ Gatton Farms is equipped with a diverse fleet of specialised machinery for both general farm work and precision agriculture. The equipment available includes:
- GPS-enabled tractors and high-rise tool-carrying tractors for accurate land cultivation and fieldwork.
- Plot harvesters for both grain and forage research, enabling high-precision data collection.
- Sprayers with GPS capabilities for efficient application of chemicals in trial plots, available in 2m, 6m, and 15m configurations.
- Programable summer and winter plot planters, as well as no-till seeding equipment, supporting research on crop rotation and soil management.
- Hay-making equipment, including disc mowers and sickle bar mower conditioners, capable of making both small and large square bales.
- Post-harvest facilities for crop analysis and research, equipped with modern tools for storage, processing, and data collection.
- Drone technology for aerial monitoring of pastures and crop fields, supporting real-time data collection on crop conditions and environmental factors.
Cravo glasshouses
Our automated Cravo retractable-roof glasshouses provide a highly controlled environment for research and trials in horticulture, agronomy, and plant physiology. These structures allow manipulation of light, temperature, and humidity levels, supporting studies that simulate various climate conditions, improve water use efficiency, and optimise crop yields under different environmental stressors.
Netted structures
Purpose-built netted enclosures are used to protect research plots from wildlife, wind, and extreme weather, while enabling natural light and airflow. These structures are ideal for fruit and vegetable trials, pest management studies, and evaluation of plant resilience in semi-controlled outdoor environments.
Seedbed preparation
We offer versatile seedbed preparation options to accommodate a wide range of research objectives. Fields can be prepared using no-till methods for conservation agriculture studies, or conventional cultivation techniques to support comparative trials on soil health, compaction, and crop emergence. This flexibility allows researchers to tailor field conditions to suit specific experimental designs.
Darbalara Beef Cattle Teaching Facility
Darbalara is UQ’s purpose-built beef cattle teaching and research facility, located 10km from the Gatton campus. This 184-hectare site features cattle yards, a dedicated teaching building, and areas for grazing and forage crop production. Opened in 2016, Darbalara plays a vital role in hands-on training for students in veterinary science, animal science, and agricultural science, with a strong focus on tropically adapted beef cattle.
The facility also supports cutting-edge research, including the development of proof-of-concept technologies for large-scale beef operations. Current trials include the use of drones and electronic monitoring devices to assess cattle health, grazing behaviour, and pasture conditions. Darbalara is home to UQ’s historic Droughtmaster herd and is a key site in the university’s integrated network of livestock research infrastructure.
Dairy
The UQ Gatton Dairy is a modern, commercial-scale teaching and research facility designed to support high-quality dairy science, animal welfare, and nutrition research. The infrastructure includes a 14-a-side double rapid-exit herringbone dairy, enabling efficient and safe milking operations for both staff and animals.
Supporting young stock management, a purpose-built calf rearing shed can accommodate up to 85 calves, providing a controlled environment for early-stage nutrition and health research. The site also features extensive feeding infrastructure, including:
- Five 500-tonne concrete silage pits
- A three-bay commodity shed (27 tonnes per bay)
- Two feed pads with capacity for 340 cows
- hade structures offering 4 m² of cover per cow to support animal comfort and productivity.
These facilities underpin UQ’s applied research in areas such as animal nutrition, sustainable dairy production, and herd health management.
Equine facilities
The UQ Gatton Equine Unit offers world-class facilities and expert support, making it a premier site for equine research and teaching in areas such as breeding, nutrition, behaviour, and performance.
The complex includes purpose-built stables, yards, and pastures designed to support a wide range of studies—from breeding and foaling to behavioural observations and training. Our breeding shed and stocks are configured for precise, safe handling, ensuring research can be conducted effectively while maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare.
Post-rehabilitation agistment is also available for horses recovering from injury, making the facilities well-suited for research into recovery techniques and long-term performance monitoring in a low-stress environment.
Adjacent to the Equine Unit is the UQ VETS Equine Specialist Hospital, one of Australia’s leading veterinary centres. The hospital offers advanced diagnostic and surgical capabilities and supports clinical research and collaboration in fields including lameness, performance medicine, internal medicine, physiotherapy, surgery, ophthalmology, and sports horse rehabilitation.
Facilities include:
- [Number] purpose-built stables
- [Number] yards
- [Number] hectares of dedicated pasture
Small ruminants
UQ Gatton’s Small Ruminant Unit provides purpose-built infrastructure to support diverse research into sheep and goat management, welfare, genetics, nutrition, and sustainable farming practices.
Key facilities include:
- A well-equipped shearing shed, sheep combi clamp, and drafting race designed to support studies on wool quality, parasite resistance, and productivity.
- An additional goat-specific combi clamp alongside electric mesh fencing and powered goat yards, enabling flexible and secure management of goat breeding and nutrition studies.
- Irrigated paddocks and extensive pasture areas for controlled grazing trials, forage testing, and pasture management research.
- A shared teaching space that facilitates handling and behavioural research for both species.
- Permanent shade shelters equipped with solar panels, combining sustainability with animal welfare by providing cover and renewable energy generation across the site.
- An Advantage creep feeder and nutritional monitoring equipment supporting studies into advanced feeding systems.
Farm tour and visits
UQ Gatton Farms welcomes industry partners, students, and community groups to explore our diverse agricultural facilities through guided tours. These visits provide a unique opportunity to see our advanced research infrastructure in action across livestock, cropping, and equine programs, and to learn about the innovative work happening at UQ Gatton.
To arrange a tour or request more information, please visit here. (link to tours page)