CONTENTS

Improving Irrigation Efficiency

Outcome:  Limited impact on water quality as a result of irrigation

Project Activities and Achievements:

• Irrigated Pasture Systems Comparative Project
  Horizon Farming   
  
  The Irrigation pasture systems comparative project has been jointly funded by MLA, Dairy SA, the ADP project and the South East Water Catchment Management Board.  The project focuses on improving irrigated pasture management techniques, irrigation water use efficiency and the viability of enterprises in the South East of South Australia.
  
  The project has:
  
• Identified and collected related water use, pasture and management data on differing irrigated systems in the South East.
• Compared the data at each site, aiming to highlight the different management practices and relevant cost differences
• Identify education and management gaps, and required information / programs; and
• Sourced information and education programs to assist in reducing or eliminating the knowledge gaps.

The project analysed the cost benefit ratio of the different irrigation and management systems. The raw data was collated into a practical report demonstrating the benefits of efficient and effective pasture and irrigation management.  The report clearly demonstrates the impact of the pasture management decisions of the differing systems on water use and profitability. This report draws cost benefit conclusions from the management practices both in terms of pasture production and return on investment from management change and has been extrapolated from real data in the South East of South Australia.

Some Interesting findings from the report are:

The best preforming irrigation system produced 29.5KgDM/mm whilst the least performing produced 1.7KGDM/mm.  This is a production difference of 1735%, which equates to $3151 per hectare
 
The average dairy enterprise produced 20.08KgDM/mm, ranging from 29.5KgDM/mm to 12.6KgDM/mm

Sprinkler irrigation used the least amount of water, however some pivot sites produced greater KgDM/mm than sprinkler

Pivot irrigation out performed flood irrigation in all aspects of farm management.  It was the most profitable, grew the most grass and ised close to half the amount of water.

• Irrigation for Profit     
  Irrigation Consultancy Management Services (ICMS_), Loxton, Water Catchment Management Board, Department of Land Water and Biodiversity Conservation and Limestone Coast Regional Development Board
      
  The Irrigation Management Services group at ICMS has developed a Best Practise Irrigation Management Package for South Australian farmers.  This package includes comprehensive manuals on managing irrigated soils, pivot management, drip irrigation management and surface irrigation management.  The package includes workshops run over 3 days.   The Agricultural Development partnership has provided funds for this existing irrigation package to be adapted to best practise dairy farm pasture management that is relevant to the South East and Murraylands regions.  
  The workshop manuals are to be provided to farmers who attend the workshops (over 200 pages per manual) as they are the Intellectual Property of ICMS. The complete workshop program is summarised below. The manuals provide comprehensive reference material for each of the subject areas covered in the workshops.

“Irrigation for Profit” – Irrigated Soils Workshop

o Introduction to Soils Geology
o Information Resources
o Soil Survey Methods
o Soil Sampling and Profile Description
o Methods
o Interpretation of Soil Description
o Soil, Water, and Land Management
o Water Repellence
o Water Infiltration

“Irrigation for Profit” – Centre Pivot and Lateral Move System Workshop

o PIVOT & LATERAL SYSTEM COMPONENTS
o Nozzle Packages
o Emitters
o Instantaneous Application Rate
o Turn Around Time
o SYSTEM OPERATION
o System Automation
o Fertigation
o System Maintenance
o EVALUATING PIVOT & LATERAL SYSTEMS
o Measuring your irrigation systems’ performance
o Evaluating your irrigation systems’ performance
o RECORDING INFORMATION

The Best Practise Dairy Irrigation for profit workshops which were extensively advertised were to run in May 2006 in Mt Gambier and Meningie.  The workshop contained four modules of the Irrigation for Profit Package with the option of providing a further 2 modules at a later date.  The modules on offer were the irrigated soils module, irrigation scheduling module, pumps and meters module and pivot irrigation system module. 

Fliers for the workshop were sent out with the milk statements to all dairy farmers in SA, adverts were placed in all of the local media including ABC radio, Stock Journal, The Border Watch and the Meningie Times.  One week before the two events only 6 people had registered so we have rescheduled the workshops to run in November this year.   All 6 registrations have agreed to participate in the workshop in November and we will re advertise (with a change of tack) to attract more interest. 

I believe that the workshops suffered from unfortunate timing as there were several major dairy events held in May making it a difficult time for farmers to commit to another two full days off the farm.  All of the presenters have been paid to provide the extended Irrigation for profit workshops in November and PIRSA funds will be used to re advertise and provide the venue and catering.  A final report on this activity will be provided on completion.

Financial Analysis