Redlands Research Facility manager Shane Holborn will talk about research projects when he speaks at ROGI's meeting on October 9.
The landmark Queensland government Ormiston research station began in 1948. The 60 hectare site has since seen research on just about every crop imaginable from fruit, vegetables, tree crops, to forestry, ornamental crops and even medicinal herbs.
The site's heyday was when the Redlands was the "salad bowl of Brisbane" and large swathes of the area were farms. As the area changed, the facility transitioned into ornamental horticulture, focusing on nursery plants, cut flowers and later turf grass research.
Shane Holborn was senior officer at Redlands Research Station and manager of the horticulture research team from 2005 until 2012. He returned to a role in January this year with a plan to generate research.
"We are currently renovating the dam on site and prepping the ground as it will be full of research trials by Christmas," Mr Holborn said. "Our latest focus is on high-tech, intensive horticulture and agriculture to help boost primary production across Queensland and in the process hopefully assist agricultural enterprises to select the Redlands for their base."
The site's focus is now home to glasshouses, shade houses and field sites with research on biofuels, sports turf grass as well as bean, wheat, barley, mung bean and forestry projects.
The site is also host to a solar array, vertical hydroponic farming trials and will soon be home to the $7.5 million QUT hydrogen research plant. The plant will utilise solar electricity to generate hydrogen from salt water with a view to exporting the resultant hydrogen to Japan.
Mr Holborn's talk will be on October 9 at 7pm (6.15pm for organic shopping) at Salvation Army, corner of McDonald Road and MacArthur Street, Alexandra Hills.
