Deakin University in Melbourne has taken on CSIRO’s last remaining irrigation researchers.

The CSIRO staff faced uncertain times with the planned closure of a research laboratory at Griffith in NSW.

The lab is set to close next year due to cuts in Federal Government funding.

But reporters say CSIRO’s Dr John Hornbuckle and Dr Wendy Quayle have now joined Deakin's new Centre for Regional and Rural Futures.

The pair is expected to operate CSIRO's Griffith site in collaboration with Deakin researchers, to work on productivity problems in agriculture and environmental science.

Dr Hornbuckle, an expert in irrigation and drainage, says he is glad to be able to continue working in one of Australia’s key irrigation districts.

“Being located in regional Australia in Griffith, in the heart of Australia's irrigation area, it's a great laboratory to be able to work out of,” he told the ABC.

“So being able to continue that with Deakin University and through the Centre for Regional and Rural Futures is a really good opportunity for the research staff here and also for bringing in skills into the area from Deakin University in other areas as well.”