Irrigation Journal Spring 2012 by CommStrat

thE Journal for irrigation ProfESSionalS

HOLISTIC APPROACH

to turf and irrigation management

DELIVERING WATER means managing

thE official Journal of irrigation auStralia liMitED

SPrinG 2012 • voluMe 28 no 03

iN this issue: CONfErENCE AND TrADE SHOW rOuNDup TOMATO TriAL SHOWS iMprOVED WuE fuNDiNG AN irriGATiON iNfrASTruCTurE SCHEME DOiNG MOrE WiTH LESS THE ENErGY EquATiON

W W W. ir r i GATi O N. O r G. Au

iSSn 0818–9447 PP 245227/00029

energy and carbon

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industries

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CONTENTS fEaturES DOiNG MOrE WiTH LESS irrigation upgrade provides productivity benefits years ahead of time

upgrade program bears fruit, saves time and money

THE ENErGY EquATiON Surface irrigation for energy and water use efficiency

Hydroponic lettuce farm goes energy efficient

Sydney golf club saves water and energy with central control

BuSiNESS fEATurE Saving energy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and money

The production of this publication has been funded by HAL using voluntary contributions from Irrigation Australia Ltd and matched funds from the Australian Government.

LEGAL fEATurE What you need to know to design, structure and fund an irrigation infrastructure scheme

rEgular itEMS Chairman's report

CEO's Message

from the Editor

irrigation Technology: Agriculture

irrigation Technology: urban

The Big issue

NpSi irrigation insights

professional Development

irrigation research

Smart Approved Watermark

iAL News

State roundup

Around industry

Contractors Corner

raising Standards

iCiD insights

New products and features

ON THE frONT COVEr Bruno Constantino says that a key reason that he has been able to improve his water use efficiency and do more with less is the knowledge gained from research. photo: NpSi

10 28 SpriNG 2012

WELCOME

iAL SuppOrT OffiCE pO Box 863, Mascot NSW 1460

chairMan’S rEPort

p (02) 8335 4000 f (02) 8335 4099 www.irrigation.org.au CEO: ian Atkinson Email: ian.atkinson@irrigation.org.au

puBLiSHEr www.commstrat.com.au Level 8, 574 St Kilda road Melbourne ViC 3004 pO Box 6137, St Kilda rd Central 8008 T (03) 8534 5000 f (03) 9530 8911

EDiTOriAL Editor: ANNE CurrEY

DESiGN & prODuCTiON Art Director: Annette Epifanidis

ADVErTiSiNG National Sales Manager: Brian rault E brian.rault@halledit.com.au T (03) 8534 5014

ADVErTiSiNG Advertising in this journal is managed by CommStrat on behalf of irrigation Australia Limited. irrigation Australia Limited takes no responsibility for the technical accuracy of article content. All contact with businesses and organisations about advertising is made by CommStrat sales staff, who must identify themselves and the fact that they work for CommStrat on behalf of the iAL. No special consideration will be given to any advertisers as far as editorial content or front cover material is concerned. Decisions about editorial content and the front cover are the prerogative of the editor and the National Board of the iAL. Advertising enquiries should be directed to the National Sales Manager.

I WAS ElECtED to the board of the then Irrigation Association at the AgM held with the Adelaide Conference and Exhibition in 2004. With the subsequent merger of IAA and AnCID, I was lucky enough to become chair of IAl. now, 8 years later, after having completed the cycle of conferences back to Adelaide again, it is time for me to stand aside. Although technically I could stand for another two years, doing so would deny the board the opportunity for change and renewal. In my view it is important to recognise when to stay and when to move on - and for me the time to move on is now. like so many other membership groups, IAl is having to deal with social change: people are busier, leisure time is restricted and it is harder to attract volunteers. This is being felt by everyone from scout leaders to sporting clubs to professional groups. For IAl this means a change in the way we think about who we are and what we do. Much of the work of the organisation has traditionally been the domain of regional committees – volunteers who met regularly to organise events and take the association’s message to their peers. In many areas we are now struggling to form and maintain regional committees. Which begs the question: are they the right forum for today’s members? obviously in WA, where the region is strong and dynamic, the answer is yes. but in others, the answer increasingly appears to be no. So, rather than berate ourselves for not being able to run regional committees, we should be looking at other ways to engage our members. Special Interest groups (SIgs) are one such tool. They overcome the geographical limits of regions and give people a simple means of contributing to areas they are passionate about. The nature of SIgs also means that faceto-face meetings are exchanged for emails, shared working documents, Skype and conference calls. Without volunteers and with the contraction of our IDo network, we become even more dependent on the output of the national staff, for they are the only permanent resources we have to work with. the final chapter of the restructuring of IAl’s finances has been the re-working of the administrative and finance functions in Sydney. these changes are already reaping benefits in increased productivity and improved relations with members.

With the association’s budget under pressure, I am often asked how we can afford two executive managers. In reply I would argue that to cope without one or the other would mean dropping a large quantum of the work of the association, which would in turn impact on our ability to deliver to members and soon be seen in a fall of in membership and revenue raising activities. The things that consume Ian and trevor’s time are the vital elements that give IAl relevance – both within the industry and, just as importantly, to government. organisations such as IAl need a permanent and visible face, an identity, a constant which is recognised not just by members, but by all of the stakeholders in the industry. We will not be “in-your face”, as has been the approach of several irrigator groups; we will not stand in public criticising government or organising mass rallies and plan burning. Instead, we will offer wise logic and wise counsel. When the heat of the debate on the basin Plan subsides, attention will turn to making the final plan work. And as I have said many times, this is our space. We need to stay on song, on message and make sure that our leadership - as the face of the association - is where people turn for the answers. As a final note of farewell, I would like to thank the members for their support during my time as chair. I would also like to thank the batch of old-timers – both life members and lifetime contributors – who initially encouraged me to join the local committee and later gave me support and guidance during my transition to board member and ultimately chair. I wish the incoming board and new chair every success in the years ahead. PETER TOOME IAL NATIONAL CHAIRMAN

EDitorial

after our bumper edition of the journal

cEo MESSagE

last issue, which included a conference and trade show catalogue, our summer issue is a little slimmer but no less

Earlier this year the IAl board prioritised our strategic objectives, and advocacy continues to rank highly. When I meet with members I get varied views about what advocacy means and how we might go about doing it for their benefit - so it is worth outlining what we are trying to do and some of our activity in this area. The specific objective says our aim is: (a) To represent the industry and promote the importance of best practice in irrigation, particularly the value of: using the services of appropriately trained and certified irrigation professionals and adopting the accepted best practice standards. (b) Providing technically sound advice on behalf of members. So the emphasis is on technical issues (best practice) and people (irrigation professionals), not other issues like tax regimes or industrial relations. That’s not to say we don’t want to help members with these issues through other means (e.g. the free seminar series about the new WHS laws), it is just that we don’t advocate on other issues. So what has been done? certified irrigation professionals in ‘water for the future’ programs

Ever since John Howard announced his government’s $10.5 billion dollar investment in water, IAl has been in Canberra advocating for using certified irrigation professionals as a means to helping the government achieve quality outcomes. We are often talking about how our certification and training programs can help them achieve their aims. There have been successes too, though not as many as we would like or even in the way we expected! We have seen certified professionals being part of investment programs in Queensland (Healthy Headwaters) and Victoria (Processing tomato Industry program) and there is more to come. one of the problems, however, is a lack of certified professionals in some areas and fields of work. For instance, there has been a lot of money spent on improving surface irrigation (bay, basin, furrow) systems in northern Victoria and western nSW but we have few certified professionals available to do this work. IAl has also successfully developed and implemented the Certified Meter Validators’ initiative. More than 400 people have achieved this certification and the certification is mandatory throughout Australia (we are aware of some problems regarding state implementation plans and would welcome news from you about what is actually happening on the ground).

national licensing proposal for plumbing and allied trades

The involvement (or not) of plumbers in urban irrigation has traditionally been one of the areas of regulation that IAl has advocated on behalf of our members. The Commonwealth and state governments have started reforming these and other trades. The idea is simple – have licence, will travel. The government wants to make it easier for people in critical trade jobs to be able to freely move from state to state and work without having to get a new licence or endorsement in every state or territory they work. great in theory and the reforms may help some of our members who work across both irrigation and plumbing, but never assume a national reform process is going to be a good thing until you look at the detail - and I’m doing that right now. I am contacting our regions about a possible combined IAl submission to the just released ‘Regulation Impact Statement’. If any of you wish to look at it yourselves and maybe even make an individual submission then go to http://nola.gov.au/ris-consultations/ advocating vs lobbying

not for the first time in my career I work for an organisation that wants us to advocate but not become a lobbyist. The line between the two is very subjective but what it does mean is that you won’t often see us in the news ‘banging a drum’. our style is more about working with government staff at the policy implementation level and providing them with solutions. After all, the use of certified professionals and best practice standards should be a no-brainer to anyone wanting to make long-term investments in viable irrigation communities. Please call or email

It’d be great to hear from the members about our efforts and what you see as the emerging issues we need to consider in terms of advocating for a “… viable and sustainable irrigation industry to support community interests, needs and activities.” IAN ATKINSON CEO

substantial in terms of editorial offerings. our editorial features in this edition are doing more with less and the energy equation. take a look at the urban irrigation feature by gerry charlton who describes how a holistic approach to managing recreation fields is paying dividends in all sorts of ways – using less water, less time and saving money. our agriculture feature shows how careful assessment of an ageing centre pivot and targeted refurbishment allowed a family in Queensland to avoid buying a new machine and greatly improve application efficiency. our big issue column by Dave gilbert from Murrumbidgee irrigation describes how the company sees itself as not only being in the business of water supply, but also in generating and saving energy. the company’s business plan explicitly recognises this and has a number of energy-saving and -generating activities that are being implemented. Portents of the future for all water companies, perhaps? if you weren’t able to get to irrigation australia 2012 conference and trade Show in adelaide, our roundup of the event will give you an insight into the breadth of equipment on show and the people who attended. Planning starts now for irrigation australia conference, which is being held in Perth next year. as well as these features, we have the usual regular columns and technical articles. i hope all our readers find the articles useful and informative. if you have any ideas for issues we should be covering or an article you would like to write, please let me know. after all this is your journal. anne currey Editor in chief

SpriNG 2012

TECHNOLOGY: Agriculture Nip and tuck does wonder for old machine An analogy to plastic surgery for a centre pivot refit might sound like an outlandish description but essentially a bit of simple (although still reasonably pricey) adjustments corrected and restored the functions of this old machine and gave her a new lease on life. The “Struanville” irrigation team, consisting of Rob Carter and his sons-in-law, Matt Finch and Scott Smith, acquired the old machine when Rob bought a neighbouring farm in October 2009. The 1983 model was showing her age and exposure to bore water with a high salt content over time had left the machine under performing. Matt and Scott, determined to give her another go, attended a More Profit per Drop (MPPD) Centre Pivot/Lateral Move. From this they corrected sprinkler placement and fixed dropper lengths on an as needs basis. While the pair was happy to continue this gradual servicing they suspected the centre pivot had bigger issues. They decided to get an outside opinion and spoke to Dalby extension officer, Jenelle Hare. Assessment identifies problem with efficiency Jenelle organised an initial assessment in November 2011 with the MPPD team, and Pat Daley of Daley Water Services with assistance from the “Struanville” team. The assessment was completed according to procedures set out by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers Standard 436.1, and revealed the machine was 72% efficient. This was not surprising given the obvious misgivings of the machine, notably: • uneven dropper lengths • incorrect sprinkler placement

Before the rejuvenation, the centre pivot was 72% efficient; with a few nips and tuck this improved to 92%.

• • • •

water pooling in low spots uneven application across machine (ranging from 0 to 74 mm) insufficient pressure at end of machine water pooling around tyres. Pat Daley’s report for the “Struanville” team included prioritised recommendations for rejuvenating the centre pivot. They decided they would follow these recommendations rather than buy a new machine, so started by completing the first of Pat’s recommendations, which included: • installing a new sprinkler package with 15 psi regulators • fitting spreader bars on the overhang and last four towers (two bars on each side of the wheels). Matt and Scott completed the minor procedures in three days and were pleased with the results. The MPPD team and Pat Daley reassessed the machine in January this year and determined that the machine was operating at a respectable 92% uniformity (an improvement of 18%). Better crop performance and energy use So what is the benefit of improving uniformity? It certainly is not just cosmetic. Uniform irrigation will lead to better crop performance from a given water allocation and more efficient energy use. The cotton crop irrigated by the old centre pivot had been replanted shortly before the first assessment; at the second assessment it looked good, although patchy in a low spot of the field. There had been some concern that the crop would not establish well because of the uneven irrigation it initially received. Rain in early summer helped with establishment. Without rain and without the improvement in the system uniformity the crop may have struggled. The “Struanville” team believe the money was well spent on the machine as they hope to achieve better yields in future as well as using their water and energy resources more efficiently. Interestingly, the pivot is operated as a half circle at any given time. Cotton is grown in summer on one half of the circle and a winter crop on the other half. The pivot is managed like this to ensure there is enough system capacity available for the crop and to provide flexibility with decisions about water available. Another of Pat Daley’s recommendations which the “Struanville” team are implementing is to fit a manual brush type filter at the pivot tower. Pat emphasises that a filter is a must for this kind of machine using surface water. In the future, the “Struanville” team think that the pump which supplies the pivot will be where they focus their attention as issues were also identified with it during the initial assessment. In the mean time they will enjoy irrigating with the rejuvenated old machine. Mary Philp, DEEDI, More Profit per Drop Team

Project Manager, Danny Moon at Hattah Lakes Environmental Flows Project

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TECHNOLOGY: URBAN

Urban Irrigation – a Holistic Approach to Turf and Irrigation Management Urban irrigation is a critical issue for managers of public open space, particularly in the local government sector. During the drought years of 2004 – 2010, water access was the critical issue and where water was available for irrigating community sports grounds and parks it had to be managed carefully because of conservation imperatives. Good rains in 2010 and since in many areas (particularly the east coast) have removed this driver for sound irrigation management, however, a new driver has emerged. Now the new imperative for sound irrigation management is cost.

Table 2. Mains water cost (Adelaide) – football oval of 16,000 m²

Water costs grow quickly The development of water security infrastructure and its associated costs have driven significant increases in the cost of potable water across the nation. Where councils can access alternative water supplies, this also has high capital costs and is priced at about 70% the cost of potable water. As an example, the cost of SA Water mains water in Adelaide has risen by 217% in the last six years, with similar increases in other states.

Water use for irrigation is not discretionary and the increased cost must be met by councils responsible for managing community sports grounds. Such increases have a significant impact on council budgets and cannot be funded through rate rises. They must therefore be met largely with existing funds. This puts pressure on park managers and can result in less water being used or other important activities, such as turf maintenance, being reduced in an effort to reduce costs and meet budgets. It is necessary to have a holistic approach to turf and irrigation management to ensure we are providing acceptable outcomes for the community. The objective is to provide fit-for-purpose sport and recreational facilities for the community. Councils have a duty of care to ensure sports grounds are safe and do not present unacceptable risk of injury to users. To do this, there are a number of important factors that councils must consider – risk management, turf maintenance and irrigation management. Sports ground risk management. A regular program of sports ground inspections must be in place to ensure hazards are identified and risks controlled. Issues including pot holes, trip hazards, unpadded valve box covers, exposed sprinklers, and inadequate boundary clearance all impact on the playability of the ground.

Table 1. Increases in the cost of mains water since 2006. Year

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Cost $

1.09

1.16

1.38

1.88

2.48

2.75

3.45

Variance $

0.07

0.22

0.50

0.60

0.27

0.70

Variance %

Variance 2005 -2012 ($)

2.36

Variance 2005 – 2012 (5)

217

To put this in perspective, the cost of water in Adelaide is $3,450/ML. The irrigation requirement for a sports ground is about 4.5 ML/ha, and the cost of irrigating a football oval of 1.6 ha is $28,840 a year.

Year

Irrigation requirement (kL/ha)

Area(ha)

Total water required (kL)

Water cost($/ kL)

Total Cost

2005

4,500

1.6

7,200

1.09

7,848

2012

4,500

1.6

7,200

3.45

24,840

Table 3. basIc Turf maInTenance program, local communITy sporTs ground (adelaIde)

A documented risk management system is essential. An informative article from the University of tasmania, School of law, outlining council’s duty of care in relation to sports grounds, “negligence and the Condition of the Sports Field” can be downloaded from http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ UtaslawRw/2006/11.pdf Turf maintenance. to maintain the turf to provide an acceptable, fit-for-purpose facility, a sound turf maintenance program should be implemented aimed at maintaining turf health, soil structure, and surface levels. A turf maintenance program includes mowing, decompaction, sodding, topdressing, thatch control, pest and weed control, fertiliser and soil nutrition.

the cost of a basic turf maintenance program for a local community sports ground is about $11,000/ha. Added to this is the cost of water for irrigation at $15,500/ha and the total cost of sports ground maintenance of about $26,300/ha. the cost for a football oval of 1.6 ha is about $42,000. An example turf maintenance program is detailed in table 3. Irrigation management. As irrigation is a significant cost in the maintenance of sports grounds it is critical that all aspects of irrigation are managed effectively. Sound irrigation management requires attention to the following: • Irrigation system performance. Non performing irrigation systems waste water and produce sub-standard outcomes in relation to turf quality. Systems should be audited to determine

performance and developed either upgrade or replacement programs developed as necessary. • Irrigation system maintenance. Sound irrigation maintenance programs are required to ensure systems continue to perform at an acceptable level. Maintenance issues such as sprinkler alignment, uniform nozzle size, correct rotation and sprinkler operation should be checked regularly and repaired as required. • Irrigation scheduling. It is critical that the irrigation schedules are set to meet plant water requirements and regularly adjusted according to local weather patterns. The use of Eto driven computerised irrigation control systems, soil moisture sensors and other technologies help with efficient irrigation scheduling. holistic management the future given significant increases in costs and rising community expectations, it is critical that we take a holistic approach to turf and irrigation management in the urban sector. now more than ever before we must make decisions about how we allocate resources to achieve acceptable outcomes for the community. In relation to sports ground management we need to measure – monitor – manage all aspects of our turf and irrigation practices to ensure we are effectively using our resources and meeting our duty of care in the provision of facilities. An investment in sound management systems and technology enables us to effectively manage our turf assets. good information = good decisions author – GerrY Charlton, iPoS SPortS grounD ManagEMEnt SolutionS, aDElaiDE www.iPoS.nEt.au

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SpriNG 2012 · 7

THE BIG ISSUE Delivering water means managing energy and carbon Water supply companies are moving into a new future where they are becoming managers, not only of water, but also of energy and carbon emissions. In this article Dave Gilbert explains Murrumbidgee Irrigation’s strategy for dealing with this big issue. The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA), located in southern central NSW, was established 100 years ago as a gravity-fed irrigation system using open channels that follow the natural contours of the landscape. It has grown to become one of Australia’s premier agricultural regions, representing about 660,000 ha of intensive irrigation that is responsible for producing a wealth of food and fibre consumed by Australian households and exported to markets around the world. Irrigation dependant economies like the MIA are facing a number of significant challenges from projected reductions to water availability and changes to government policy that are resulting in reforms to water, energy and carbon sectors. Over recent years, Murrumbidgee Irrigation, the locally-owned irrigation company supplying water, drainage and environmental services to some 3,250 properties across the MIA, has adopted a sustainable business strategy in recognition of the potential impact of these policy reforms on providing a cost effective water delivery service. A key driver has been energy consumption and carbon emissions that are increasing the costs of transporting water around the landscape. While transporting water has traditionally occurred through gravity-fed open channels, replacing ageing water delivery infrastructure with modern pressurised piping systems to generate water savings and make more efficient use of water is increasing energy consumption and carbon emissions. Accordingly, managing energy use and carbon emissions is expected to become a critical issue for rural water service providers in the years ahead as the world responds to the challenges of climate change, energy security and economic competitiveness. In 2010, the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council reported on Challenges at Energy-Water-Carbon Intersections that highlighted the need for an integrative approach to energy, water and carbon intersections and some of the transformative changes required to improve distribution efficiency and water productivity in irrigation. These changes pose a fundamental challenge to the long-term viability of irrigation communities like the MIA. MI has recognised the need to change by integrating its management of water, energy and carbon, and in establishing a MIA Renewal Alliance to focus on an integrated approach to these issues in delivering significant infrastructure modernisation projects across the MIA. Murrumbidgee Irrigation has installed mini hydro generators like this one on the main canal regulator near Yenda as part of its strategy to integrate its management of energy, water and carbon emissions.

Opportunities to reduce energy intensity These challenges also present opportunities for the MIA to reduce energy intensity by generating renewable energy to offset operating costs, and for the provision of ecosystem services able to generate carbon credits and support the emergence of carbon markets. Across the MIA, small and larger scale energy and carbon sector opportunities are emerging that may grow to represent an integral part of the enduring vision of sustainable irrigated communities in 100 years from now. This includes: • planting trees for carbon sequestration along easements to provide carbon offsets • adapting regulating structures for mini hydro-electricity generation • installing solar panels along easements to produce renewable electricity • processing biomass waste from crop residues and urban waste to produce bio-energy. Failure to seek such innovative approaches and continuing to consider these issues separately is likely to leave a significant number of industries, communities, agriculture enterprises and individuals alike exposed to significant future impacts, including higher electricity prices, and unprepared to benefit from expected future opportunities from the growth of carbon markets. Dave Gilbert, Murrumbidgee Irrigation, Griffith

Sustainable business strategy charts path for managing water, energy and carbon emissions The Murrumbidgee Irrigation sustainable business strategy charts a path for this decade by establishing a framework for sustainable irrigation in an energy-, carbon- and water-constrained world. One of the strategy’s objectives is to “reduce energy use, improve energy efficiency and increase the proportion of renewable energy consumed, to the point where MI is a net producer of renewable energy by 2020”. The goals of the climate change and energy business focus area are: to reduce emissions to the maximum extent possible across, to respond to climate change through mitigation and adoption of energy efficient technology, and to develop technical capability within MI for carbon market services and renewable energy generation and marketing. Performance targets include: reducing future annual emissions below 2011 levels to the maximum extent possible, supporting policies to excel in energy and carbon management practices, identifying and initiating renewable energy new business as a way of building capacity as a net producer of renewable energy.

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DOING MORE WITH LESS Irrigation upgrade provides productivity benefits years ahead of time In changing his irrigation system from sprinkler to drip on his Renmark properties, almond grower, Sam Pearce, has improved orchard management and input use efficiency, with the result being higher average yields and water savings of 25 to 30%. Sam operates six small properties in the old settlement area north of Renmark that have a combined land area of about 40 ha. These properties, which were originally surface irrigated, then had sprinklers installed, and since 2002 there has been a gradual upgrade to a drip system, including subsurface drip irrigation. Funding available through the On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program (OFIEP) allowed Sam to complete the change years ahead of when was otherwise possible. The OFIEP is part of the Australian Government’s ‘Water for the

Future’ initiative, which also requires successful applicants to return half of the water savings achieved from irrigation infrastructure upgrades to the environment. “We have been redeveloping the properties to drip in the last few years, but after a period of tough conditions, water restrictions and high water leasing costs, it became difficult,’’ Sam said. “Any time you look at development it’s a capital cost and it can be a strain on the business, even though you are trying to do everything as efficiently as you can.’’ He said accessing Round 1 funding under the OFIEP through delivery partner, the SA MurrayDarling Basin Natural Resources Management Board, had enabled the completion of the drip conversion using Netafim equipment possibly four to five years earlier than it might have occurred.

Renmark almond grower Sam Pearce says installing subsurface drip irrigation on his property has resulted in improved orchard management and input use efficiency, higher average yields and big water savings.

Savings from system change quantified The funding accounted for changing another 17 ha from sprinklers to mostly subsurface drip. “We thought the funding would cover about half of the cost, but, in the end with what we did, it was probably about 25 to 30 per cent,” he explained. According to Sam, the funding was a major bonus and had provided labour as well as application and general orchard floor management efficiencies, in part because it was no longer necessary to be on site in the orchard when irrigating. “Once you go to the drippers, the system looks after itself, and we inject fertiliser in small amounts more often, rather than applying it as a big lump and losing some of it,” he said. “With the sprinklers, you had to be on site, whereas now we just load the tanks. We have a pump shed on each property and we inject through Venturi pumps and filters. We just set the injection rate and the irrigation time. Everything is planted on drip now and the fertigation at the sheds is fully automated,” he added. Using sprinklers on the heavy clay soils also meant they couldn’t drive in the orchard for three or four days after irrigation, whereas now they can spray, perform other treatments or sweep almonds from the tree lines more easily. Improved consistency of crop yields due to the new irrigation has resulted in an overall yield increase of about 25%. “Our good patches are yielding about 4 tonnes a hectare, whereas previously this was about 2.5 to 3 tonnes a hectare,” he said. The water savings from the switch to the drip system have amounted to 25 to 30%, with half of the 4ML/ha saving in the recently upgraded area being transferred to the Commonwealth as part of the OFIEP. Sam previously budgeted for over 15 ML/ha, whereas now it is under 11ML/ha. Stuart Upton, Netafim

Upgrade program bears fruit, saves time and money South Australian fresh market stone fruit grower, Jason Size, is seeing the benefits of a move from micro sprinkler to drip irrigation that started in 2004 and is planned to be finished in the next 12 months. Jason says that Commonwealth funding to aid the modernising of irrigation infrastructure has provided essential support in this last stage of upgrading his system. Jason operates a 30 ha orchard with his father-in-law and as well as another 162 ha of stone fruit with a group of growers near Bookpurnong, located between Loxton and Berri in the Riverland. He has a range of stone fruit crops including peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, cherries, apriums and pluots.

Long-term upgrade program The irrigation system on the 30 ha orchard previously comprised under-tree sprinklers and micro sprinklers, however, all but a couple of areas of apricots has now been converted to drip. “We started going to drip in ’04, then ’05 and by ’06 we got ourselves set on a single line of dripperline, the Netafim UniRam, supplying 3.5 litres per hour at 0.8 metre spacings,’’ Jason said. “We now run two lines per row spaced 750 millimetres apart and pegged offset from the tree line.’’

Jason Size says a switch to drip irrigation has resulted in a host of benefits, including flexibility in irrigation scheduling, better time and orchard management, and improved water and fertiliser applications, with the latter helping to achieve increased tree yields.

The recent upgrade was assisted by Round 1 funding under the On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program (OFIEP), which is part of the Commonwealth Government’s ‘Water for the Future’ initiative. This was accessed through delivery partner, the SA Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board.

Automation saves time and money Jason said the fully automated irrigation for the orchard was now controlled from the one pump shed, while fertigation remained a manual operation.

Meanwhile, further funding under Round 2 of the Private Irrigation Infrastructure Program - South Australia (PIIPSA) is also contributing to other infrastructure upgrades, including a replacement pump and powerlines. These developments will take place over the coming 12 months, while moisture monitoring systems already are being investigated. Funding under OFIEP requires 50% of water savings to be returned to the environment. According to Jason, the move to drip irrigation has resulted in a host of benefits, including flexibility in irrigation scheduling, better time and orchard management, and improved water and fertiliser applications, with the latter helping to achieve increased tree yields. “We now have much better efficiency. We are no longer wasting applications to the cover crops of lucerne and clover,’’ he explained. He said water savings were especially highlighted when replanting and irrigating young trees. About one-tenth of the orchard is replanted annually. “We will possibly go to just one dripperline with the young trees. The previous micro sprinklers watered a large area, whereas now it will just be a drip at the tree,’’ Jason said. Stuart Upton, Netafim

THE ENErGY EquATiON surface IrrIgaTIon for energy and waTer use effIcIency WoRK by tWo different groups in the former CRC for Irrigation Futures identified the energy costs of the various irrigation application systems, including pressurised systems, as well as calculating the irrigation efficiency gains possible with improved surface irrigation. Combining the data from these two sources provides a compelling case for considering surface irrigation with real-time optimisation and control as the ultimate irrigation method for both energy and water use efficiency. Around the world, including in Australia, irrigated agriculture is the largest water user, and there is pressure on irrigators to improve water use efficiency as other sectors compete for water. one way commonly suggested for improving water use efficiency is to replace surface irrigation systems with pressurised centre pivot and drip systems, which are assumed to be more efficient. Irrigation is a primary consumer of energy on farms particularly when pumping is required, so any changes to irrigation method used can be expected to change on-farm energy consumption. The direct energy inputs are mainly used to operate farm machinery and pumps, while indirect energy inputs refer to energy that is used to produce equipment and other goods and services that are used on the farm. Where groundwater is used, there is always more energy required for pumping. the energy required for pumping depends on the crop water requirement, total head, flow rate and system efficiency.

surface irrigation efficiency Research in sugar industry done in the 1990s found application efficiencies for individual irrigations under farmer management averaged less than 50% and ranged from 14 to 90%. When irrigations were optimised to simulate real-time control, the average application efficiency increased significantly from 41 to 93%. In 2005, a similar situation was reported in the cotton industry. Application efficiencies from 79 furrow irrigations under farmer management had a mean of 47% and spanned the same range as in the sugar industry. Simulation of the events showed that the simple strategy of increasing flow rate and reducing time could increase the average efficiency to above 70%. optimisation of the individual events gave efficiencies between 82 and 100% for all but a small number on very light soils. Following this study, we established the feasibility of the real time optimisation and control of furrow irrigation. More recently, evaluations of bay irrigations in the goulburn-Murray Irrigation District have showed improvements in application efficiency of about 20% to values in between 80 and 95% are possible across much of the region through the use of higher flow rates and real-time control.

energy use Energy consumption in irrigated agriculture results mainly from pumping requirements as illustrated in a 2010 case study in Australia where the energy use for irrigation was considered in two areas - the first

Table. energy consumpTIon for IrrIgaTIon of a hypoTheTIcal graIn crop from a surface waTer source. System

Water applied (ML/ha)

Current surface irrigation (E 55%)

7.3

real-time optimised surface irrigation (E 85%)

4.7

Centre-pivot irrigation (E 90%)

4.3

Water savings (ML/ha)

Energy use (MJ/ha)

increase in energy use (MJ/ha)

9700

2.6

9700

2.9

13000

7300

supplied with surface water by gravity, and the second by groundwater. The water use and energy consumption by the current (inefficient) surface irrigation systems were compared with the reduced water use but greatly increased energy consumption that would occur if the surface systems were converted to centre pivot and drip irrigation. However, they did not quantify the water or energy savings that would accrue from optimised surface irrigation. As itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been shown that irrigation application efficiencies of 85% are possible with optimised surface irrigation, we used this figure along with the energy consumption data from the 2010 case study to demonstrate the energy consumption benefits of optimised surface irrigation for a hypothetical annual grain crop in southern Australia (see the table). The water source is a surface gravity supply and the energy used includes that for the cultural operations of land preparation, sowing, fertiliser, herbicides and harvesting. The increased energy consumptions for the centre pivot and drip systems are a direct result of the pumping required to give the desired operating pressures. It is evident that with real-time optimisation and control of current surface irrigation, any water savings will be achieved without increase in energy consumption, making it both water and energy efficient. The table further shows that when current surface irrigation was converted to centre pivot and drip irrigation there were more small water savings but this came with big increases in energy consumption. For the same crop irrigated from a groundwater source, the extra energy used would be a direct function of the volume of water pumped and the depth to groundwater. In some circumstances this may cause the current â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;inefficientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; surface irrigation to be more energy expensive than the pressurised systems. However, even in that event, real-time optimised surface irrigation will deliver the lowest energy consumption. Note. This article is taken from a paper delivered at Irrigation Australia Conference 2011. Kanya l Khatri anD roD SMith, national cEntrE for EnginEEring in agriculturE,

Drip irrigation (E 95%)

4.2

3.1

16000

6300

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