The AgriSystems Initiative, launched by Prof Rojanette Coetzee at the Faculty of Engineering, North-West University, bridges the gap between engineering and agriculture. It is a collaborative, research-driven effort to solve real-world challenges facing modern agriculture through innovation, technology, and sustainable practices.
What began as a personal journey into farming became a pioneering initiative when Prof Coetzee identified inefficiencies in agricultural practices. Inspired by students and local farmers, the AgriSystems Research Group was established to unite academic knowledge with hands-on farming experience.
Focus Areas
The AgriSystems initiative is structured around three core focus areas that reflect the full scope of modern agricultural transformation. These include animal production systems, food production systems, and organisational systems. Each area applies engineering thinking to agriculture, addressing specific challenges through innovation, data-driven solutions, and sustainable practices.
1. Animal Production Systems
This area focuses on improving livestock management through technological innovation and engineering redesign. It aims to reduce theft, improve safety, and optimise farming operations.
- Biometric Identification of Cattle: Unique nose prints, similar to fingerprints, offer a fast and secure way to identify livestock and deter theft.
- Grazing Management Record-Keeping: Tracks grazing duration, stocking rates, pasture conditions, and recovery periods to improve land use decisions.
- Rethinking Facility Design: Redesigning cattle handling facilities for better flow, reduced stress on animals, and safer conditions for handlers.
2. Food Production Systems
Combining smart technologies and sustainable farming, this focus area explores innovative growing environments and water-wise agriculture suited for diverse South African conditions.
- Smart Greenhouses: Climate-controlled environments that use solar PV, IoT sensors, and automation to regulate temperature, humidity, and nutrients.
- Hydroponic Innovations: Soil-less systems where plants grow faster using fewer resources, eliminating the need for pesticides and reducing water waste.
- Digital Water Systems: Integrating IoT, AI, and machine learning to automate and optimise irrigation for sustainability.
3. Organisational Systems
These systems apply industrial engineering principles to streamline farming processes, supply chains, and resource use—ensuring agriculture functions like a modern, efficient business.
- Agro-Processing: Transforming raw agricultural products via drying, milling, fermenting, and packaging to improve shelf life and add economic value.
- Lean Agriculture: Adapted manufacturing principles to eliminate waste, optimise workflows, and increase profit.
- Farm-to-Fork Supply Chain Management: Ensuring fresh, safe, and high-quality food through improved coordination and logistics from farm to consumer.
- Grain Handling Systems: Improving silo operations, condition monitoring, energy efficiency, and aeration for better grain quality and sustainability.
- Agriculture Circular Economy: Promoting reuse and recycling within farms—composting, crop rotation, and organic fertiliser use to close resource loops.
- Lean & Green Models for Ecotourism: Combining resource efficiency with environmentally responsible practices to support sustainable tourism operations.
Impact
AgriSystems delivers meaningful change in three key dimensions—economic, environmental, and social—by creating more efficient, sustainable, and inclusive agricultural systems.
| Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Economic | Enhances productivity, reduces waste, creates jobs, and boosts rural development. |
| Environmental | Promotes water and energy efficiency, reduces emissions, and enhances soil health. |
| Social | Empowers students and farmers, builds resilient communities, and supports food security. |
Expansion & Partnerships
To scale its impact, AgriSystems works closely with academic, government, and industry partners. The initiative’s physical and collaborative footprint is growing across South Africa and beyond.
- AgriHub: Near Potchefstroom, focused on sustainable crop production, equipment design, and big data applications.
- Animal and Vegetation Monitoring: Using drones to track animal movement, species, and vegetation health.
- NWU Campus Growing Structures: Climate-controlled hydroponic and aeroponic systems established on campus to maximise yield while minimising water use and resource consumption.
- The NWU Community Food Gardens: An on-campus initiative that reuses biodegradable materials to produce compost, reducing waste while supporting sustainable food production.
- Strategic Partners: Department of Agriculture, SA Institute of Agricultural Engineers, Telkom CoE, NWU Disaster Studies, Geo & Spatial Sciences, public-private stakeholders, and international tertiary institutions.
Aligning with the SDGs
AgriSystems supports key Sustainable Development Goals by promoting food security, responsible resource use, and innovation-driven growth in agriculture.
- SDG 2 – Zero Hunger: Optimising food systems and reducing waste.
- SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, Infrastructure: Promoting agricultural innovation and infrastructure growth.
- SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption & Production: Implementing efficient, low-waste agricultural practices.
