La Trobe University Distinguished Professor Wei Xiang has won a 2026 Financial Review AI Award, recognising his pioneering work using artificial intelligence to help farmers save water and energy.
The AI Awards celebrate groundbreaking achievements in artificial intelligence - and the innovators and leaders who are shaping the future. Professor Xiang won first place in the sustainability category.
Agriculture is one of Australia's biggest users of fresh water, and inefficient irrigation can lead to significant waste.
Professor Xiang's solution, developed with ag-tech company Aglantis, is an AI-powered smart irrigation platform that replaces traditional, one-size-fits-all watering routines with precise, data-driven decisions tailored to each crop.
Professor Xiang is the Director and Chief Scientist of the Australian Centre for AI in Medical Innovation (ACAMI) and the Founding Director and Cisco Research Chair at the Cisco-La Trobe Centre for AI and Internet of Things. He is also Co-Director (Research) of the newly established La Trobe AI Institute, which is a single front door to the University's AI capability across research, education and industry collaboration.
La Trobe Vice-Chancellor Professor Theo Farrell congratulated Professor Xiang on his achievement and said the recognition highlighted the growing role of AI in helping solve real-world challenges.
"AI is playing an increasingly important role in building a more sustainable future and Professor Xiang's exceptional work underscores La Trobe's focus on applied research with purpose and impact," Professor Farrell said.
"For La Trobe, AI is not only about technological advancement - it is about empowering people to adapt, innovate, and create meaningful impact.
"As one of Australia's leading AI-first universities, La Trobe is embracing AI as a strategic opportunity to build future-ready graduates, deepen industry partnerships and drive innovation in research and across the University community."
Since launching in late 2024, Professor Xiang's irrigation platform, developed in partnership with Aglantis, has been rolled out across farms in North Queensland's Lower Burdekin region, covering up to 3000 hectares of sugarcane and horticultural crops.
Early results show water savings of around 20 per cent, electricity costs cut by up to half, and much less time spent checking fields, which significantly helps farmers fight the current diesel fuel crisis.
The technology works by combining solar-powered field sensors with an AI-driven, real-time digital twin platform that analyse conditions like soil moisture, temperature and weather. Farmers receive clear, practical advice on when and how much to irrigate, helping them respond quickly to changing conditions and avoid overwatering.
Professor Xiang said he was delighted to be recognised for his pioneering AI research at the Financial Review AI Awards, commenting that AI had enormous potential to help agriculture respond to climate variability in Australia and globally.
"The future of agriculture will be increasingly data-driven," Professor Xiang said. "By integrating sensors, AI and real-time environmental monitoring, we can support more resilient farming systems for Australia and worldwide."
About La Trobe's AI-first strategy
La Trobe University is one of Australia's leading AI-first universities; embracing and embedding artificial intelligence responsibly and at scale across teaching, research, industry engagement and university operations.
The University's human-centred AI strategy is grounded in La Trobe's founding mission of equity and access: ensuring every student, regardless of background or location, can succeed in an AI-enabled world.
The University is moving beyond AI experimentation to institution-wide transformation - preparing graduates, researchers, staff and industry partners for a future where AI shapes every profession and sector.
