Agriculture Victoria is working to get school children clued in for an ever-more tech savvy agricultural sector.
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The department's free 'AgStem' program is in full swing for the school year with opportunities for students across the state.
Agriculture Victoria's community education manager Anna-Leisa Vietz said the suite of practical and hands-on free workshops is popular with schools because it links directly to the Victorian school curriculum.
"Our Get into AgSTEM workshops are suitable for students from grade five through to VCE and our delivery model is very flexible," she said.
"We can deliver them from AgriBio, our main research centre in Bundoora, or any of our regional SmartFarms with some select workshops available online."
Students visiting Agriculture Victoria's research centres gained firsthand experience in a professional research facility where science and technology were applied to agricultural scenarios.
"Our workshops can also be incorporated into events such as the Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN) events, STEM Idols in Mildura, or the upcoming Food and Fibre Day in Dookie," Ms Vietz explained.
"The feedback is always excellent as students enjoy using hi-tech tools and discovering how our scientists conduct research."
She said at the department's SmartFarm in Horsham, recently, a 'Get into Digital Agriculture' workshop was run for Murtoa College's Year 11 agricultural science class.
A 'Get into Genes - PCR' workshop was also delivered for Horsham College's Year 12 biology class.
Get into Digital Agriculture explores how remote sensing technology can be used to collect, upload and analyse farm related data.
The students assembled soil moisture sensors and used python programming language to access and analyse data.
Get into Genes - PCR was a Year 12 level workshop where students learned how on-farm efficiency was improved using DNA related techniques and applications.
Students practised pipetting for DNA replication and interpretation of DNA profiles.
For more information on the Get into AgSTEM programs, click here or email getintoagstem@agriculture.vic.gov.au.
