More crop per drop: data-driven water management in Manjimup
If you ask farmers what water is worth, they might say ‘a livelihood’. In an Australian first, a new study in Manjimup, 300km south of Perth, aims to drill down to a dollar figure by calculating the economic returns for every mega litre of water used for irrigation. The Food Agility CRC project is led by Curtin University in collaboration with
the Western Australian Government, Southern Forest Food Council, local farmers and technology companies. The project aims to support farmers to use data to make decisions about water use and irrigation, as well as to demonstrate the value that irrigation generates for farmers and the regional economy. Bevan Eatts with Dr Julia Easton at Morning Glory Farms in Manjimup, Western Australia.
The three-year project targets avocado, apple, wine grape, stone fruit, vegetable and truffle farms, which make up about 90 per cent of horticultural production in the WarrenDonnelly catchment.
About the project – calculating value for crop, farm and whole region
Researchers will install digital water flow meters and soil moisture probes on multiple blocks of each produce type, measuring how much water is being used in real time.
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The Overflow - Winter 2020
