On a large dairy farm in Denison, a farming family has spent years developing their irrigation system. Their goals were to improve water use efficiency and reduce their labour requirements.
An irrigation farm plan was completed, which mapped out their current infrastructure and identified opportunities for improvement. The farm’s soil was permeable and required high volumes of water to irrigate. The irrigation farm plan highlighted that the family could convert older surface irrigation systems to pivot irrigation systems. The plan also detailed the ideal pivot design to maximise the productivity of the area.
The flood to spray irrigation conversion involved the installation of a centre pivot. This area had previously been surface irrigated with farm channels and outlets used to ‘flood’ the paddock. Converting from flood to spray irrigation meant that these irrigators were eligible for a financial incentive to adopt the new best practice irrigation system. The irrigation water for the centre pivot was sourced from the Thomson River via a pump and mainline.
The centre of the new pivot, supported by the Central Gippsland Irrigation Efficiency Incentives Program.
The main drivers for the family to install a centre pivot were to reduce labour inputs to irrigate and the amount of irrigation water required to irrigate the same area. The farming family were also very conscious of reducing nutrients entering the Thomson River.
‘The centre pivot will also help [us] reduce the amount of nutrients going into the river through controlled application of irrigation water.’
The centre pivot was significant in transforming the farm’s irrigation management. The new system ensures the soil moisture levels for the pastures are adequate to maintain strong pasture production throughout the season.
The new pivot in action.
Overall, the flood to spray conversion improved both farmer health, and the health of the waterways, with the farmer stating that they are:
‘So happy with the project, I can schedule irrigations and get some sleep.’
Shifting to a centre pivot system minimised nutrients entering the Lake Wellington system through reduced surface run-off and deep drainage losses.
