3 minute read
Monitoring soil moisture
BY TRUYEN VO REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, VEGETABLESWA
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It was mentioned in an article in the summer 2020 edition of WA Grower (Water and fertiliser use efficiency improvement — an extension service update) the VegNET WA Regional Development Officers (RDOs) has worked closely with growers and related stakeholders to create value by setting up a field demonstration of digital soil moisture monitoring on tomato and chilies fields in April 2021.
Technically, the digital soil moisture monitoring requires a few practices that most growers haven’t used before. These included: • Soil moisture monitoring probes installed at various depths to monitor the soil moisture profile over time • Digging to expose the root zone to acquire knowledge on the root zone concept and soil characteristics • Downloading an app to their smartphones to read the soil moisture monitoring results • Accessing and understanding the data outputs presented in graph form on digital devices such as smart phone or computer • Including the soil moisture monitoring results in the decision making of irrigation program. As a result of these demonstrations, involved growers experienced benefits of better crop performance and reduced water and fertiliser loss.
There was some concern from the growers involved that the technical skills required to set up the system and to gain confidence to adopt this innovation may be too difficult. Growers experienced better crop performance and reduced water and fertiliser loss. To manage these concerns and barriers, the project was carefully designed to provide grower participants with ‘one-on-one assistance’ needed to bring them up to the competency level required to operate the system themselves.
Developing a strong task force
The careful implementation of the stakeholder engagement plan has brought in expert collaborators who committed to contributing resources and knowledge to create value by translating the innovation into easily adopted field practices for growers. This task force includes experts and scientists of Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development (DPIRD), Perth Natural Resources Management (Perth NRM), Irrigation Australia, Wildeye Soil Moisture Monitoring and, VegNET WA Regional Development Officers (RDOs). Since January 2021, the task force has been working together to design field trials and demonstrations and setting them up on two growers’ properties in Wanneroo, WA.
Dig to expose the root zone to understand the root zone depth and soil characteristics.
f THE root zone within 30cm depth.
Effective grower learning design
The project team have foreseen that some growers may have difficulty setting up an account on a smartphone to download an app. They may also find it difficult to access and understand the data outputs presented in graph form on digital devices such as smartphone or computer.
It is also complicated for growers to include the soil moisture monitoring results into decision making for their irrigation program.
These difficulties can be even more significant with Vietnamese Australian growers because of the added language barrier. Therefore, the 5 stages extension process has been carefully employed in the project. This will enhance growers’ journey toward decision-making and innovation adoption. This extension process includes: 1. Knowledge: Introduce the innovation to growers and help them understand the benefits. 2. Persuasion: Development of
Growers’ favourable attitude to the introduced innovation. 3. Decision: Growers’ commitment to adopt the innovation. 4. Implementation: Growers putting innovation into use via trial-and-error process. 5. Confirmation: Reinforcement the adoption decision based on positive outcomes from it.
MORE INFORMATION
Truyen Vo, Regional Development Officer, phone (08) 9486 7515 or 0457 457 559 or email truyen.vo@vegetableswa.com.au
