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Associate Professor Andries Potgieter
Associate Professor

Andries Potgieter

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 344 33465

Overview

Background

Professor Andries B. Potgieter is a Principal Research Fellow at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), University of Queensland, and an international leader in Digital Agriculture. With a career spanning over 35 years across government, industry, and academia, his research integrates remote sensing, climate forecasting, and crop–climate modelling to support resilient, data-driven decision-making in agriculture. He is currently a key research collaborator in the $36 million GRDC-funded Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry (AAGI) initiative, where he leads digital analytics activities within UQ.

Professor Potgieter’s work focuses on developing predictive tools that combine satellite Earth observation, machine learning, and crop simulation to improve seasonal forecasting, crop monitoring, and risk management. He has pioneered widely adopted innovations such as the CropID tool, now commercialised via Data Farming Pty Ltd, and his models have influenced decision frameworks at Statistics Canada and the FAO. His 114 peer-reviewed publications have accrued over 4,000 citations, and his Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) places him in the top 5% of researchers globally.

He has built a thriving interdisciplinary research program and mentoring pipeline, supervising PhD, Masters, and MoDS students, and supporting postdoctoral researchers who now work at AWS, Sugar Research Australia, and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. His leadership in global partnerships has positioned UQ as a preferred academic collaborator for international institutions tackling climate-smart agriculture.

Current projects

  • Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry (AAGI) – Digital analytics for yield forecasting and decision tools for grain growers (GRDC)

  • CropVision – Satellite remote sensing and AI for field-scale crop production forecasting (ARC Linkage)

  • RiskSSmart – Integration of Earth observation and climate models for sorghum risk mitigation (SmartSat CRC)

  • Root Phenomics – Linking above-ground sensing to root system architecture to accelerate phenotyping of drought-tolerant cereals (GRDC; Chief Investigator)

  • ARC Training Centre for Predictive Breeding in Agricultural Futures – Developing next-generation tools and training pathways for climate-resilient crop improvement (ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centres; Collaborating Investigator)

Previous research highlights

  • Late Maturity Alpha Amylase (LMA) Risk Modelling – National-scale risk prediction framework for wheat quality (GRDC)

  • CropPhen – High-throughput phenotyping for crop type and growth stage detection via drone/UAV (GRDC)

  • SIMLESA and YieldShield – Groundbreaking work in food insecurity mapping and climate risk insurance across eastern and southern Africa

Availability

Associate Professor Andries Potgieter is:
Available for supervision

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Southern Queensland

Research impacts

Transforming agricultural decision-making through digital tools My research has led to practical innovations that help farmers, government agencies, and agribusinesses make better decisions under climate uncertainty. By combining satellite imagery, climate data, and artificial intelligence, I have created tools that support crop forecasting, risk assessment, and sustainable farming practices at local, national, and global levels.

Real-world outcomes

  • CropID, a remote sensing tool developed through my research, has been commercialised by Data Farming Pty Ltd and is now used across Australia to map and monitor crops—helping reduce fertiliser waste and improve land management.

  • My seasonal yield forecasting models have been adopted by the Queensland Government and informed policy and logistics planning.

  • Statistics Canada built their national crop forecasting system using frameworks I co-developed, showing international uptake.

  • I co-developed YieldShield™, Australia’s first climate-based crop insurance product, which helped farmers manage drought risk.

  • In 2024–2025, I was contracted by the FAO to adapt these models for use in low-income countries, supporting food security initiatives in Africa and Latin America.

Broader benefits

  • Economic impact: My tools improve supply chain planning, reduce crop losses, and inform commodity trading and insurance.

  • Environmental impact: Precision monitoring enables more efficient fertiliser use, reducing runoff and environmental harm.

  • Social impact: My training and mentoring of students and early-career researchers builds long-term capability in digital agriculture, both in Australia and internationally.

Works

Search Professor Andries Potgieter’s works on UQ eSpace

109 works between 1997 and 2025

101 - 109 of 109 works

2004

Journal Article

Using a general circulation model to forecast regional wheat yields in northeast Australia

Hansen, James W., Potgieter, Andries and Tippett, Michael K. (2004). Using a general circulation model to forecast regional wheat yields in northeast Australia. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 127 (1-2), 77-92. doi: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2004.07.005

Using a general circulation model to forecast regional wheat yields in northeast Australia

2004

Conference Publication

Likely impact of climate change on wheat and sorghum production in central Queensland

Potgieter, Andries, Meinke, Holger and Doherty, Alastair (2004). Likely impact of climate change on wheat and sorghum production in central Queensland. The 4th International Crop Science Congress, Brisbane Australia, 26 September – 1 October 2004. Madison, WI United States: Crop Science Society of America.

Likely impact of climate change on wheat and sorghum production in central Queensland

2003

Journal Article

On measuring quality of a probabilistic commodity forecast for a system that incorporates seasonal climate forecasts

Potgieter, AB, Everingham, YL and Hammer, GL (2003). On measuring quality of a probabilistic commodity forecast for a system that incorporates seasonal climate forecasts. International Journal of Climatology, 23 (10), 1195-1210. doi: 10.1002/joc.932

On measuring quality of a probabilistic commodity forecast for a system that incorporates seasonal climate forecasts

2003

Conference Publication

The reliability of supply of feed grains in the northern region

Hammer, G. L., Potgieter, A. and Strahan, R. (2003). The reliability of supply of feed grains in the northern region. Versatile Maize - Golden Opportunities, City Golf Club, Toowoomba, 18-20 February, 2003. Dartlington Point, NSW: Maize Association of Australia.

The reliability of supply of feed grains in the northern region

2002

Journal Article

Spatial and temporal patterns in Australian wheat yield and their relationship with ENSO

Potgieter, AB, Hammer, GL and Butler, D (2002). Spatial and temporal patterns in Australian wheat yield and their relationship with ENSO. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 53 (1), 77-89. doi: 10.1071/AR01002

Spatial and temporal patterns in Australian wheat yield and their relationship with ENSO

2001

Conference Publication

Understanding climate variability to improve agricultural decision making

Meinke, H., Pollock, K., Hammer, G. L., Wang, E., Stone, R.C., Potgieter, A. and Howden, M. E. (2001). Understanding climate variability to improve agricultural decision making. Australian Agronomy Conference, Hobart, Tasmania, January, 2001. Australia: Australian Agronomy Society.

Understanding climate variability to improve agricultural decision making

2001

Journal Article

Advances in application of climate prediction in agriculture

Hammer, GL, Hansen, JW, Phillips, JG, Mjelde, JW, Hill, H, Love, A and Potgieter, A (2001). Advances in application of climate prediction in agriculture. Agricultural Systems, 70 (2-3), 515-553. doi: 10.1016/S0308-521X(01)00058-0

Advances in application of climate prediction in agriculture

1998

Journal Article

Framework for forecasting the extent and severity of drought in maize in the Free State Province of South Africa

de Jager, J.M., Potgieter, A.B. and van den Berg, W.J. (1998). Framework for forecasting the extent and severity of drought in maize in the Free State Province of South Africa. Agricultural Systems, 57 (3), 351-365. doi: 10.1016/S0308-521X(98)00023-7

Framework for forecasting the extent and severity of drought in maize in the Free State Province of South Africa

1997

Journal Article

A technique to evaluate ENSO-based maize production strategies

Singels, A. and Potgieter, A. B. (1997). A technique to evaluate ENSO-based maize production strategies. South African Journal of Plant and Soil, 14 (3), 93-97. doi: 10.1080/02571862.1997.10635088

A technique to evaluate ENSO-based maize production strategies

Funding

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2025
    RiskSSmart: Digital tool for de-risking sorghum production decisions (SMART SAT CRC)
    SmartSat CRC
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2029
    ARC Training Centre in Predictive Breeding for Agricultural Futures
    ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centres
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2027
    Root structure and function traits: Overcoming the root phenotyping bottleneck in cereals
    PROC-9176895 Phenomics methods and tools to enable improved resource capture efficiency in grain crops
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2027
    Analytics for the Australian Grains Industry (AAGI)
    Grains Research & Development Corporation
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2027
    Reducing lodging risk in sorghum to increase grower confidence and profitability
    Grains Research & Development Corporation
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2025
    CropVision: A next-generation system for predicting crop production
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2020 - 2024
    CropPhen: Remote mapping of grain crop type and phenology
    Grains Research & Development Corporation
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2022
    Machine learning to extract maximum value from soil and crop variability (GRDC project administered by The University of Adelaide).
    University of Adelaide
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2023
    LMA Project C: An improved model of Late Maturity Alpha-Amylase (LMA) field risk in Australian wheat
    Grains Research & Development Corporation
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2019
    A Genetic x Environment characterization of the risk for Late Maturity Alpha-amylase across the main wheat producing shires of Australia
    Grains Research & Development Corporation
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2019
    Sustainable intensification of maize-legume cropping systems for food security in Eastern and Southern Africa - Phase II (SIMLESA-2)
    International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre
    Open grant
  • 2013
    Seeing is believing: The use of thermal sensing in predicting crop yield at field scale
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2015
    Integrating crop and livestock production for improved food security and livelihoods in rural Zimbabwe (ZimLESA; ACIAR project led by ILRI)
    International Livestock Research Institute
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Sustainable intensification of maize-legume cropping system for food security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) - Ethiopian Extension
    International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2012
    Determining the ability of crop water stress indices to capture yield, within the crop canopy/thermal space, through utilising remote sensing at a farm/paddock level
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant
  • 2011
    An analysis of spatial data for Zimbabwe (ACIAR project)
    Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2014
    Sustainable intensification of maize-legume cropping systems for enhancing food security in eastern and southern Africa (SIMLESA; CIMMYT-led ACIAR Project novated from DEEDI)
    International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre
    Open grant
  • 2010
    Strategic Planning for investment based on agro-ecological zones
    Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Associate Professor Andries Potgieter is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

Completed supervision

Media

Enquiries

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