Alison McCarthy

Associate Professor Alison McCarthy is a mechatronic research engineer at the University of Southern Queensland, affiliated with the Centre for Agricultural Engineering. She specializes in irrigation and cropping systems, focusing on automation, machine vision, and sensor-based control technologies to improve agricultural efficiency and sustainability.

Research Interests:

• Irrigation control systems
• Machine vision for soil and plant sensing
• Automation in agriculture
• Variable-rate irrigation
• Agricultural spatial analysis and modelling

Her recent research output demonstrates a strong trend in developing and evaluating automated, real-time systems for irrigation, nitrogen management, and crop monitoring across cotton, dairy, and grain crops. She leverages machine vision, AI, and sensor networks to enable precision agriculture solutions that reduce labor, optimize inputs, and improve yields.

Scientific Awards:

• 2024 Australian Future Cotton Leader
• 2021 WatSave Young Professionals Award (International Commission on Irrigation & Drainage)
• 2018 Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year Award
• 2015 Queensland Young Tall Poppy Science Award
• 2014 Science and Innovation Award for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
• 2011 Travel Fellowship (Irrigation Australia Limited)
• NPSI/IAL Travel Fellowship 2010

Dr. McCarthy actively supervises research students and leads industry-collaborative projects funded by organizations such as Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Grains Research and Development Corporation, and Hort Innovation. She has secured multiple research grants focused on smarter irrigation, nitrogen management, and pest monitoring technologies. Her work bridges academic research and practical on-farm applications, emphasizing technology transfer and industry engagement.

Laboratories and Research Teams:

She is a key member of the Centre for Agricultural Engineering at USQ, contributing to interdisciplinary teams working on smart irrigation, precision agriculture, and agricultural automation. Her research integrates with projects like 'Smarter Irrigation for Profit' and 'Future Farm', involving collaboration with engineers, agronomists, and industry partners.