CSIRO Industry PhD Scholarship: Crop disease management

Funding and duration

four year scholarship package totalling approximately $48,000 per annum tax exempt (2026 rate); four-year scholarship and research training program.

Project overview

Project title

Completing the puzzle: integrating automated spore counts into real-time crop disease management

Project description

This project aims to link novel automated disease surveillance technology with spatial and climate data streams to improve crop disease management. The expected outcome is decision-support capability that translates multiple data sources into actionable recommendations for growers. The potential benefit is improved productivity and sustainability through more targeted interventions and more efficient use of crop protection inputs.

Supervisory team

University

Name of university supervisor | Toni Petronaitis

Name of university | University of New England

Email address | tpetrona@une.edu.au

Faculty | Agriculture

CSIRO

Name of CSIRO supervisor | Susan Sprague

Email address | susan.sprague@csiro.au

CSIRO Business Unit | Agriculture and Food

Industry

Name of industry supervisor | Michelle Demers

Name of business/organisation | BioScout Pty Ltd (Website)

Email address | michelle@bioscout.com.au

Further details

Primary location of student | CSIRO Black Mountain, Building 101 Clunies Ross Street, Black Mountain ACT

Industry engagement component location | Bioscout Pty Ltd, 6 Sloane Street, Marrickville NSW

Other locations | University of New England, Elm Avenue, Armidale NSW

Ideal student skillset | Essential BSc (Hons) or MSc in relevant discipline (e.g. Agriculture, Data Science) Excellent writing and communication skills, willingness to collaborateGood problem-solving skills and interest in the application of digital technologies to real-world challengesData science and statistical modelling, programmingDesiredInterest in agricultural systems

Application close date | Open until position filled

Apply | University of New England