Crop Competition

Inspiring the Next Generation of Agriculture

The AgXtra Crop Competition gives secondary and tertiary students the chance to experience agriculture in action — managing their own wheat plots, making real agronomic decisions, and seeing firsthand how those decisions influence outcomes in the paddock.

Launched in 2015, the program was created to bring hands-on learning into school and university agriculture programs. Today, it’s proudly delivered across South Australia and Victoria, connecting classrooms with industry, research, and the realities of modern farming.

 


What’s Involved

AgXtra provides everything needed to bring the competition to life — paddock locations, soil tests, seeding, treatment applications, and harvest support.

Students develop their own crop management plan and make key agronomic decisions such as variety, fertiliser and seeding rates. At harvest, entries are assessed on grain yield, quality, and gross margin — helping students see the real impact of their decision-making.

The competition encourages teamwork, critical thinking, and the practical application of classroom learning, giving students valuable insight into agronomy and farm management.

 

Why It Matters

The Crop Competition bridges the gap between theory and practice, helping students understand how agronomic choices translate into results on-farm.

Through the experience, participants:

  • Build practical agronomy and decision-making skills
  • Learn how trials are designed, monitored, and analysed
  • Gain confidence interpreting data and economic outcomes
  • Explore career opportunities in agronomy, research, and agricultural science

For AgXtra, the competition is about supporting education, strengthening regional connections, and investing in the future of Australian agriculture.

 

Who Can Enter

We work with teachers and lecturers to embed the competition into existing programs or as an extracurricular project.

The Crop Competition is open to:

  • High schools with Agriculture or STEM programs
  • Universities and tertiary institutions offering agriculture-related courses

Get Involved

We’d love to see your students take part in the next AgXtra Crop Competition.
To learn more or to register a team, please reach out to one of our Research Officers below.

 

South Australia
📧 Rajesh Barua – Senior Research Officer
rbarua@agxtra.com.au

Victoria
📧 Tristan Hilbig – Research Officer
thilbig@agxtra.com.au