He’s a man who knows water and lives his ideas to tackle one of the biggest environmental challenges facing the world: how to save water in an economically sustainable way.

Ben Ovenden is the son of a Riverina rice farmer in regional NSW and has experienced first hand the highs and lows of rice cropping. He has seen weeds strangle rice seedlings and has watched as tough weather conditions battered plant growth – all of this has fuelled Ben’s interest to identify what makes one rice seedling stronger and more resilient than the next.

Technology developed by a Charles Sturt University researcher is helping the rice industry better understand crops and ensure higher yields with more efficient use of limited water resources.

As the Australian wine industry continues to mature new areas and geographic zones are being looked into for the production of wines grapes, Charles Sturt University research is showing how the rapidly growing wine industry can expand into other regions previously considered unsuitable for growing wine grapes.