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Enhancing Irrigation Efficiency in Gwydir Valley Cotton Production: A Grower-Led Initiative

This project aimed to improve irrigation efficiency in the Gwydir Valley and the Australian cotton industry amid low water availability. Funded by the National Water Commission, it fostered collaboration between growers, industry specialists, and research institutions from 2008 to 2012. Key trials included the evaluation of various irrigation methods and technologies to optimize water use and improve crop yields. The initiative emphasized practical, local, and adaptive project management, offering insights for future water management strategies and irrigation practices.

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Enhancing Irrigation Efficiency in Gwydir Valley Cotton Production: A Grower-Led Initiative

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Presentation Transcript

  1. IAL Conference, Adelaide June 2012

  2. Background • The concept • The team • The trials • Achievements • Future

  3. Low water availability • Growers looking a ways to increase production with less water • 90% irrigation techniques were flood/siphon • No valley specific research or examples of others technologies

  4. Sort funding from National Water Commission • Timeframe 2008-2012 • Approximately $500,000 of funding • To improve the irrigation efficiency in the Gwydir and nationally within the Australian Cotton Industry • Grower-led approach

  5. GVIA Committee • Gwydir Valley Irrigators • Other growers • National Water Commission • The Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association – staff and executive (past/present) • Trial hosts – Sundown Pastoral Co and Australian Food and Fibre Limited • NSW DPI – Janelle Montgomery • Guy Roth • CSIRO • CSD • Yara Nipro • Netafim • Aquatech • DPI • NSWIC

  6. Championed irrigators showing irrigators • Grass-roots ideas with robust application • Focus on practical information • Direct industry linkages • Flexibility to allow the project to evolve overtime

  7. Focus on improving efficiency of furrow irrigation • Pipe through bank trial at Telleraga, Moree • Limited water and row-configuration trial at Redbank, Moree • One-on-one consultations to reducing losses from on-farm storages • Highly collaborative

  8. Established and operated four system comparison trial • On-farm at Keytah, Moree • Commercial scale

  9. Holistic water accounting • Benchmarking • Management streamlined and consistent • Variables minimised – soils, climate, chemicals and fertilizer

  10. Established process, tested the concept • Challenges • Operational and management • Soil type variation • Crop establishment • Water monitoring technology • Scale

  11. Replication of the Keytah Trial • Accepted inherent design challenges • New aim to optimise each system individually and tailor management • Remained focussed on holistic water assessment • Included demonstration of water-balance technology as water accounting ‘back-up’

  12. Seasonal challenges with extensive flooding and reduced temperatures during growing periods • Interim results assumptions: • Using field techniques to estimate yield • C-probe data used to determine effective rainfall • Residual soil moisture

  13. All yields (where crops were not lost) were high – reflective of the season • Performance of the Bankless assisted by luck • Lateral move showed continued high performance • Furrow system appears to be most consistent

  14. Challenges • Germination issues • Equipment failure • Management issues with new technologies were mostly avoided • Difficult season for water accounting

  15. Demonstration of a grower-led approach • Relevant • Practical • Adaptive project management • Real opportunities to improve existing technologies • Locally specific information for decision making

  16. Communication • Broad-ranging education and extension activities • Hands-on extension opportunities • Multi-media reporting

  17. National Water Commission – highly supportive and flexible • Farm hosts considerable in-kind contribution and outside the scope of original project • External contributors and advice

  18. Recognition of the investment in establishing the trial • Growers locally want more seasons of data • Sundown Pastoral Co ad Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association maintained committed • Currently, Cotton Research and Development Corporation have provide preliminary advice for funding in 2013/2014 season

  19. Final reports for 2009-10 and 2010-2011 trials • Final Report for 2011-2012 season available September 2012 • Brochures – due to be updated with new results • Specific Drip brochure • Specific Bankless Channel brochure • Specific Lateral brochure • Specific Furrow/Siphon brochure • Overall Brochure with final results • DVD • www.gvia.org.au

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