Tools and techniques for improving the precision of irrigation
Leader:
(07) 4631 1691
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What's New:
- Workshops and Tours to Get Your Hands Dirty
- TECHNICAL REPORT: Investment in Irrigation Technology: Water Use Change, Public Policy and Uncertainty
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Project Description:
Goal
To provide the technology and practices to enable the application of precise amounts of irrigation where and when it is needed to maximise WUE, profitability and sustainability
Outcomes & Benefits
The project will primarily identify opportunities and priorities for further technology development. New technology development per se will result from the resulting proposals which emanate from this scoping and workshopping phase. There will be a strong focus in further proposal developed on pre-commercial prototyping (including performance and market assessment) leading to development and commercialisation of new products and tools. While the opportunities and priority investments for specific technologies and practices will be identified through the scoping studies, examples include: development of field level gated flow measurement systems under conditions of low head; development and packaging of systems for volumetric and loss measurement from on-farm storages, and management strategies for conversion from surface irrigation to low energy precision application using centre pivots and lateral move machines.
The benefits to stakeholders, CRC IF and the wider industry will be a comprehensive review of tools and technologies for improving the precision of irrigation and clearly targeted technology development proposals. Barriers to the adoption of existing precision irrigation tools will have been identified. Opportunities for development of improved soil water and water flow monitoring technology and improved irrigation applications systems will have been identified and high priority targeted development activities initiated. Firm proposals to deliver on technological opportunities arising from the project will have been prepared. A range of publication (reports) and web based delivery methods will ensure learning from project outcomes is accessible to wider industry.
Key Outputs
a. Scoping study of existing precision irrigation measurement tools, application technologies and irrigation systems including the technical and social barriers to adoption;
b. Further development and commercialisation of specific measurement tools and monitoring technologies that (a) enable the implementation of precise irrigation or (b) facilitate dialogue regarding precise irrigation;
c. Identification of new or improved irrigation application systems which deliver increases in water use efficiencies, profitability and/or sustainability
Strategies
This project has three main area of research effort directly addressing the key output delivery requirements within the Precision Irrigation theme. Activities in each area of research will be collaboratively undertaken by a cross-organisational research team headed by a team leader. The team leaders and key output research areas are:
Sub-project 1 Dr Richard Stirzaker (CSIRO) - Improved promotion of existing precision irrigation measurement technologies
Sub-project 2 Dr Rabi Misra (USQ) - Improved soil water and water flow monitoring technology
Sub-project 3 Mr Erik Schmidt (USQ) - Development and testing of new and improved irrigation application systems
The operational structure of the project will ensure cross-partner involvement in each sub-project. The nature of the scoping and workshop activities to be undertaken within this project will also ensure that there is a strong engagement with both external government and industry stakeholders.
Sub-project 1: Improved promotion of existing precision irrigation measurement technologies
The promotion of existing measurement technologies is dominated by the marketing message each particular company builds around their product. Agencies are generally averse to promote one measurement technology over another, both because they want to avoid favouritism and because there is genuine uncertainty. This sub-project will involve collating information about the measurement technologies that are currently available to enable precision irrigation. The process is not about a comparing tools but an assessment of which tools are helping which industries to move forward and at what stage of their journey. The sub-project recognises that full adoption is not a one step process (purchase of a tool) but a series of steps involving awareness, limited trial and evaluation against current knowledge.
This sub-project will identify appropriate pathways for the promotion of precision irrigation measurement technologies and practices. It will build on and review past and on-going State initiatives aimed at promoting precision irrigation measurement tools (particularly soil-water monitoring technologies) to grower groups and analyse their strengths and weaknesses. The focus will be on both large and small scale farming and the agricultural and urban irrigation sector. It will also build a link between the technologists and the social scientists in order to replace the linear tech transfer model and pursue a model of co-learning with the target audience. The major activities conducted in this component of the project will be:
• Identification and collation of the measurement technologies available for precision irrigation and where they are currently being used (December 2004);
• Review of which measurement technologies have had the major impact and why (June 2005)
• Development of case studies based on findings above (Irrigator Associations, State based training initiatives, Farmer groups) (June 2005);
• A CRCIF/National workshop to fine tune strategies for the delivery and promotion of precision irrigation measurement technologies will be conducted by Sept 2005 (potentially in collaboration with an existing workshop such as IAA); and
• Project outcomes will be communicated via a range of delivery/publication methods. Appropriate strategies will be refined in consultation with the CRCIF Knowledge Manager and may include delivery via a hardcopy and/or website (December 2005).
Sub-project 2: Improved soil water and water flow monitoring technology
This sub-project will undertake an initial scoping study to identify key attributes and specifications for the sensors and control systems required for precision irrigation management, and current gaps in sensor and control system functionality. This study will include the prioritisation of opportunities for refinements to sensor and control systems to meet identified gaps in functionality. The focus will be on the specification, development, evaluation and commercialisation of measurement and control systems for both on-farm precision irrigation and off-farm hydrology needs. Hence, it will have close links to the both the “prescription irrigation” and “distribution and storage systems” theme activities in relation to the identification and development of appropriate measurement and control systems to optimise performance. It will also necessarily need to have close linkages with industry collaborators (eg. Rubicon, AWMA, Aquatech, Sentek) and ensure that it builds on existing reviews and activities undertaken by the CRC Catchment Hydrology and others.
The initial scoping study and gap identification will be completed by December 2004 enabling the opportunity to develop targeted project proposals on specific technologies for both internal and external funding by mid-2005.
The major activities conducted in this component of the project will be:
• Identification and collation of existing measurement technologies (December 2004);
• Identification of gaps in technology and development of new funding proposals (June 2005);
• A CRCIF/National workshop to review soil water and water flow monitoring technology and identify key research opportunities will be conducted by Sept 2005;
• Further limited development of selected technologies to address the high priority gaps identified in the initial study; and
• Communication of project outcomes via a range of delivery/publication methods, including the revision of the NPSI funded “Soil water monitoring guide” (December 2005).
Sub-project 3: Development and testing of new and improved irrigation application systems
This sub-project will focus on improving the performance of both rural and urban irrigation application systems and identify where the gains in water use efficiency and irrigation profitability can be achieved. It will also evaluate, and where appropriate, develop improvements in application system technologies. This sub-project will involve both an initial scoping study and a range of continuing research activities being conducted by partner organisations. The key output from the scoping study in this sub-project will be the prioritisation of opportunities for further research within the irrigation systems area. Continuing research activities within this sub-project include both comparative analyses of alternative systems in various crops and opportunities for improvements in agronomic and application system performance.
The major activities conducted in this component of the project will be:
• Identification and collation of information on opportunities to improve irrigation precision (December 2004);
• Prioritisation of opportunities and development of new funding proposals (June 2005);
• A CRCIF/National workshop to evaluate new and improved irrigation systems will be conducted by Sept 2005;
• Further limited development of selected technologies to address the high priority gaps identified in the initial study; and
• Project outcomes will be communicated via a range of delivery/publication methods (December 2005). |
Progress to Date:
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Publications:
| Author
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Title and Refereed Journal
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| Stirzaker, RJ. (2003)
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When to turn the water off: scheduling micro-irrigation with a wetting front detector
Irrigation Science
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| Smith, RJ. Raine, SR. and Minkovich, J. (2005)
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Irrigation application efficiency and deep drainage potential under surface irrigated cotton
Agricultural Water Management
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| O'Connell, MG. and Goodwin, I. (2004)
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Pear water relations under partial rootzone drying
Acta Horticulturae
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| Goodwin, I. Whitfield, DM. and Connor, DJ. (2004)
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The relationship between peach tree water use and effective canopy cover
Acta Horticulturae
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| Emdad, MR. Raine, SR. and Smith, RJ. and Fardad, H. (2004)
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Effect of irrigation water quality on soil structure and infiltration under furrow irrigation
Irrigation Science
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| Humphreys E., Lewin L.G., Khan S., Beecher H.G., Lacy J.M., Thompson J.A., Batten G.D., Brown A., Russell C.A., Christen E.W., Dunn B.W. (2006)
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Integration of approaches to increasing water use efficiency in rice-based systems in southeast Australia.
Field Crops Research
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| Kaine, G., Bewsell, D., Boland, A., Linehan, C. (2005)
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Using market research to understand the adoption of irrigation management strategies in the stone and pome fruit industry.
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture
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| Stirzaker, R.J. and Hutchinson, P.A. (2005)
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Irrigation controlled by a Wetting Front Detector: field evaluation under sprinkler irrigation
Australian Journal of Soil Research
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| Gillies, M.H. & Smith R.J. (2005)
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Infiltration parameters from surface irrigation advance and run-off data
Irrigation Science
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| Khatri, KL. & Smith, RJ. (2006)
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Real-time prediction of soil infiltration characteristics for the management of furrow irrigation
Irrigation Science
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| Khatri, K.L. & Smith, R.J. (2005)
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Evaluation of methods for determining infiltration parameters from irrigation advance data
Irrigation and Drainage
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| Gibbings, P. and Raine, S.R. (2005)
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Evaluation of a low cost hydrographic technique to measure on-farm water storage volumes
Agricultural Water Management
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| Gillies, M.H. Smith R.J. and Raine S.R. (2007)
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Accounting for temporal inflow variation in the inverse solution for infiltration in surface irrigation
Irrigation Science
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| Author
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Title and Report
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| Craig I, Green A, Scobie M & Schmidt E (2005)
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Controlling evaporation loss from water storagesControlling evaporation loss from water storages
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture Publication 1000580/1, USQ, Toowoomba
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| Loch, R.J., Grant, C.G., McKenzie, D.C., & Raine, S.R (2005)
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Improving plants’ water use efficiency and potential impacts from soil structure change - Research Investment Opportunities. Final report to the National Program for Sustainable Irrigation. CRCIF Report number 3.14/1.
Cooperative Research Centre for Irrigation Futures, Toowoomba
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| Raine SR, Meyer WS, Rassam DW, Hutson JL & Cook FJ (2005)
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Soil-water and salt movement associated with precision irrigation systems - Research investment opportunities. Final report to the National Program for Sustainable Irrigation
Cooperative Research Centre for Irrigation Futures, Toowoomba
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| Stirzaker RJ & Thomson T (2004)
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Full Stop at Angas Bremer: report to the Angas Bremer Water management Committee Inc. CSIRO Land and Water Client Report.
CSIRO Land and Water
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| Stirzaker R, Stevens J, Annandale J, Maeko T, Steyn J, Mpandeli S, Maurobane W, Nkgapele J & Jovanovic N (2004)
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Building Capacity in Irrigation Management with Wetting Front Detectors. Report to the Water Research Commission No. TT 230/04
Water Research Commission
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| Misra, R., Raine, S., Pezzaniti, D., Charlesworth, P., and Hancock, N. (2005)
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A scoping study on measuring and monitoring tools and technology for precision irrigation
CRC for Irrigation Futures, Australia
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| Giddings, J. (2005)
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Drip irrigation – a citrus growers guide book launch
Citrep – Newsletter of the Murray Valley Citrus Board
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| Giddings, J. (2005)
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Efficient irrigation in Spring and Early Summer
Citrep – Newsletter of the Murray Valley Citrus Board
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| Giddings, J. (2005)
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Navelina water use Project report to Murray Valley Citrus Board
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| Giddings, J. (2005)
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Running costs of diesel, LPG and electrical pumpsets in Sunraysia
The Irrigator
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| Giddings, J. (2005)
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Summer Irrigations
Citrep – Newsletter of the Murray Valley Citrus Board
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| Giddings, J. (2005)
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The expansion of drip technology
The Irrigator
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| Giddings, J. (2005)
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Thinking of drip irrigation?
The Irrigator
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| Giddings, J. (2005)
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Irrigating citrus in late summer and upgrading to drip irrigation
Citrep – Newsletter of the Murray Valley Citrus Board
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| Giddings, J. (2005)
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Irrigating citrus in winter
Citrep – Newsletter of the Murray Valley Citrus Board
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| Giddings, J. (2005)
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The key to chlorinating drip irrigation systems
The Irrigator
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| Humphreys, E., Fawcett, B., O’Neill, C.J. and Muirhead W. (2005)
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Comparing sprinkler, drip and furrow irrigation
Irrigation Australia
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| Humphreys, E., Fawcett, B., O’Neill, C.J. and Muirhead W. (2005)
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Maize under sprinkler, drip & furrow irrigation
IREC Farmers’ Newsletter
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| Hutchinson, P., Knight, J., Cook, F. and Murray, W. (2005)
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Soil water potential and salinity system
CSIRO Land and Water, Client Report
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| Raine, S.R. and Montagu, K. (2006)
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Improving surface irrigation application performance
IREC Farmer’s Newsletter
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| Raine, S.R., Purcell, J. and Schmidt, E. (2006)
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Improving whole farm and infield irrigation efficiencies using IrrimateTM tools
International Water and Irrigation 26
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| Schmidt, E. (2005)
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A Scoping Study on Opportunities for Improved Application Systems
CRC for Irrigation Futures
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| Stirzaker, R.J. (2005)
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Managing irrigation with a wetting front detector
UK Irrigation
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| Giddings, J. (2005)
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Filtration principles for drip irrigation
The Irrigator
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| Stirzaker, R.J. (2006)
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Soil moisture monitoring: state of play and barriers to adoption
CRC for Irrigation Futures, Sydney.
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| Author
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Title and Published Conference Paper or Workshop Paper
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| Craig I, Schmit E, Green A & Scobie M (2005)
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Controlling evaporation from on-farm storages
Irrigation Association of Australia National Conference
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| Misra RK, Fuentes S & Raine SR (2005)
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Recent developments and strategies in the use of plant indicators for irrigation scheduling
Irrigation Association of Australia National Conference
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| Raine SR, Purcell J & Schmidt E (2005)
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Improving whole farm and infield irrigation efficiencies using Irrimate TM tools.
Irrigation Association of Australia National Conference
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| Sands J, & Jerdan L (2005)
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Studies carried out on the use of recycled water at Indooroopilly Golf Course
Irrigation Association of Australia National Conference
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| Sands J, & Blackall P (2005)
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Monitoring of irrigation with reclaimed water on tree and vine crops
Irrigation Association of Australia National Conference
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| Stirzaker R (2005)
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Irrigation scheduling with measurement control – set and forget or live and learn
National Workshop on Role of Irrigation in Urban Water Conservation - Opportunities and Challenges
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| Stirzaker R (2005)
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Obstacles to the adoption of irrigation scheduling
Irrigation Association of Australia National Conference
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| White SC and Raine SR (2004)
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Identifying the potential to apply deficit irrigation strategies in cotton using large mobile irrigation machines
4th International Crop Science Conference
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| Williams D (2005)
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Utilizing key checks to identify irrigation farm components that require improvements in water use efficiency
Irrigation Association of Australia National Conference
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| Annandale, J.G., Steyn, J.M., Benadé, N., Jovanovic, N.Z., Stevens, J.B., Stirzaker, R.J. and Backeberg, G.R. (2005)
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Irrigation scheduling with the SWB model – from theory to practice.
International Commission for Irrigation and Drainage
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| Baillie, C.P. and Raine., S.R. (2005)
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Strategies for maximising sugarcane yield with limited water in the Bundaberg district
In Proceedings of the 2005 ANCID Conference
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| Cook, F.J., Knight, J.H. and Wooding, R.A. (2005)
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Steady groundwater flow to drains on a sloping bed: Comparison of solutions based on Boussinesq equation and Richards equation
MODSIM 2005 International Congress on Modelling and Simulation
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| Cook, F.J., Schilizzi, S., Campbell, A.P., Asseng, S., Wardell-Johnson, A., Rixon, A.J., Su, X., Nancarrow, B., Carlin, G.D. (2005)
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Uncertainty in modelling human-landscape interactions.
MODSIM 2005 International Congress on Modelling and Simulation.
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| Gillies, M., Smith, R.J., and Raine, S.R (2006)
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Is it possible to extract infiltration rates from variable inflow irrigation?
Irrigation Australia 2006 Conference
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| Khatri, K.L., Smith, R.J. and Raine, S.R. (2006)
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Real time control of surface irrigation: managing infiltration variations and enhancing furrow irrigation performance
the Irrigation Australia 2006 Conference
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| Maskey, R. and Bethune, M. (2005)
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Linkages between farmers, extension and research: learnings from the 'efficient irrigation project
In Linking the Sciences of Research and Extension
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| Maskey, R., Lavis, A., Bethune, M. and Lawler, D. (2005)
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Linkages between farmers, extension and research
the 2005 ANCID Conference
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| Matthews, C.J., Knight, J.H., Braddock, R.D. and Cook, F.J. (2005)
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The effect of heat on the diversion length of capillary barriers
MODSIM 2005 International Congress on Modelling and Simulation. Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand
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| Matthews, C.J., Knight, J.H., Cook, F.J. and Braddock, R.D. (2005)
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Using analytical solutions for homogenous soils to assess numerical solutions for layered soil
MODSIM 2005 International Congress on Modelling and Simulation. Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand
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| McCarthy, C.L., Hancock, N.H., and Raine, S.R. (2006)
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A preliminary evaluation of machine vision sensing of cotton nodes for automated irrigation control
the Irrigation Australia 2006 Conference
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| McGarry, D., Gunawardena, T.A., Gardner, E.A. and Millar, G. (2006)
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Deep Drainage under irrigated cotton – surface and groundwater implications
the Irrigation Australia 2006 Conference
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| North, S. (2006)
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Improving water use efficiency in southern irrigated cropping systems
Irrigation Australia 2006 Conference
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| O’Neill, C.J., Humphreys, E., Katupitiya, A. and Fawcett, B.J. (2006)
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Comparison of three irrigation methods for maize in Coleambally, NSW
Irrigation Australia 2006 Conference
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| Qassim, A., Bethune, M. and Dunin, F. (2005)
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Monitoring of sprinkler irrigation for perennial pasture production in northern Victoria
2005 ANCID Conference
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| Raine, S.R. (2006)
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The future of irrigation technologies and practices is here now. Keynote address
Irrigation Australia 2006 Conference
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| Smith, P. and Jessen, M. (2006)
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Centre Pivot Irrigators: Traps for Operators and Installers
Irrigation Australia 2006 Conference
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| Smith, P. and Christie, J. (2006)
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Practical Irrigation Scheduling of Pastures under Centre Pivot Irrigators
Irrigation Australia 2006 Conference
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| Stirzaker, R.J., Stevens, J.B., Annandale, J.G., Steyn, J.M. and Backeberg, G. (2005)
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Starting a dialogue between irrigators and scientists – lessons learnt from a simple wetting front detector
International Commission for Irrigation and Drainage
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| Stirzaker, R.J. (2006)
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Saving Water and Adaptive Management: reducing data to the minimum
Irrigation Australia 2006 Conference
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| Su, X.F., Asseng, S., Campbell, A.P., Cook, F.J., Schilizzi, S., Nancarrow, B., Poole, M., Carlin, G. and Brockman, P. (2005)
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Incorporating capacities and constraints into a conceptual framework to study farmer and land use change
MODSIM 2005 International Congress on Modelling and Simulation. Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand
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| Yiasoumi, B (2006)
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The Waterwiseon the Farm Programfor Sydney Basin CLDB farmers
Irrigation Australia 2006 Conference
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| Stirzaker RJ, Sunassee S & Wilkie J (2004)
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Monitoring water, nitrate and salt on farm: a comparison of methods
Irrigation Association of Australia National Conference
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| Humphreys, E., O’Neill, C.J. and Fawcett, B.J. (2006)
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Does high pressure irrigation save water in maize production?
the 2006 Water to Gold Conference
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| Khatri, K.L. & Smith R.J. (2005)
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Toward real-time control model for management of surface irrigation in Australia.
International Conference on Advances: In the Internet, Processing, Systems and Interdisciplinary Research.
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| Devasirvatham, V. and Cornish, P.S. (2006)
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Precision application of water for peri-urban horticulture
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Media Releases:
- Award winning irrigation software could save 800 gigalitres a year
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Researchers:
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Postgraduate Students:
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Partners:
Charles Sturt University
NSW Department of Industry and Investment
Victoria Department of Primary Industries
University of South Australia
The University of Southern Queensland
The University of Western Sydney
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Workshops:
- Volumetric Losses from Distribution and Storage Systems
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Irrigation Toolkits:
- irriGATEWAY - development server for new irrigation tools
- SILO ET - daily ET across Australia
- CP&LM Visualisation Tool - simple software to help manage your CP&LM
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Training:
- Travelling Irrigator Course
- Pivots and Laterals
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