Irrigating Agriculture

Irrigating Agriculture

Whole Farm Planning and Irrigation upgrades improve drought security

Irrigating with saline groundwater in the GMID

Irrigation Efficiency Incentives in the Mallee

Soil moisture information and irrigation scheduling

Irrigating in a dry season

The Dirty Side of Irrigation

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published - 4 October 2018
By Nick O'Halloran
Renewables and Irrigation Webinar – What works and when? On and off grid systems

Agricultural research economists, Janine Powell and Jon Welsh (both AgEcon) share their findings about how and when incorporating renewable energy technologies and irrigation storage stack up.
Janine and Jon first began investigating the feasibility of renewable energy and irrigation in 2014 during the Department of Agricultures’ Carbon Farming Futures program and …
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Home, Irrigation Systems, Resources

published - 27 September 2018
By Alexis Killoran
Calculating Readily Available Water at the Macalister Irrigation Farm

A soil pit was recently dug at the Macalister Demonstration Farm (MDF) to better understand the Readily Available Water (RAW) content of the farm. RAW is the approximate amount of water measured in millimetres, held in the soil that is easily available to plants.
This water can be used by plants …
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Home, Irrigation Scheduling, Resources

published - 20 September 2018
By Alexis Killoran
Making sure you are ready for irrigation – maintenance tips

Due to the dry conditions experienced in the Macalister Irrigation District (MID), irrigation has started earlier, and perhaps may finish later than normal, so it is important to ensure your system is operating as efficiently as possible.
This will maximise the amount of grass or pasture you can grow and reduce …
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published - 10 September 2018
The design of a Centre Pivot or Lateral Move irrigator

System design can vary greatly for Centre Pivot or Lateral Move (CPLM) irrigation systems. Variations in design can have a large effect on capital and operating costs. Paddock shape, soil type, local climate, crops to be grown and power source will all influence design requirements. Understanding these design requirements for …
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Home, Irrigation Systems, Resources

published - 17 August 2018
Planning a Centre Pivot or Lateral Move system

When planning a Centre Pivot or Lateral Move (CPLM) system the following aspects need to be considered at the planning stage:

Physical location (area, shape, topography, soil type)
Water supply (flow rate, supply location, quality and quantity)
Irrigable area (area to be developed, system capacity)

Land area: A typical centre pivot system has a …
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Home, Irrigation Systems, Resources

published - 6 August 2018
Centre Pivot or Lateral Move – what to consider?

Centre Pivot and Lateral Move (CPLM) irrigation systems have many advantages over surface irrigation systems. However careful consideration regarding system design, as well as adequate system maintenance and management, is essential to achieving these benefits.  The following points need to be considered when installing CPLM systems:
Advantages and disadvantages of …
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Home, Irrigation Systems, Resources

published - 27 July 2018
By Jeremy Giddings
Aspects to consider when choosing an irrigation system for horticulture

Irrigation system selection is an important aspect of setting up or upgrading horticultural enterprises. There are many different types of irrigation systems available, and in many cases there is no single best solution for any given situation.
Each irrigation system type has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on the situation, …
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Farm Planning, Home, Irrigation Systems, Resources

published - 20 July 2018
By Jeremy Giddings
Variable speed drives — an energy saving option for irrigated horticulture

A variable speed drive (VSD) is used to adjust a pump’s flow or pressure to the field requirements (actual demand). Adopting VSDs in irrigation was historically for operational reasons such as providing constant pressure outputs, ‘soft starts’, or reducing pump wear. More recently, as energy prices continue to rise, the …
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Home, Irrigation Systems, Resources

published - 2 July 2018
By Rob O'Connor
Using soil moisture information to schedule irrigations

As part of the Accelerating Change project in Northern Victoria, various soil moisture monitoring (SMM) devices were used over the last 3 years under surface irrigated pasture and other forages on farm to assist with improved irrigation timing.
Key learnings
SMM provides objective and useful information for irrigation scheduling and reduces the …
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Home, Irrigation Scheduling, Resources

published - 8 June 2018
Soil Salinity Surveys on offer for North Central irrigators

Winter presents the perfect time for Torrumbarry and Loddon Valley irrigators in the GMID to conduct surveys for soil salinity levels, an important requirement of the Whole Farm Planning process. Surveys can only be undertaken when adequate soil moisture is available. Surveys are available free of charge for eligible irrigators.
Almost …
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Farm Planning, Home, Resources

Lake Glenmaggie
published - 31 May 2018
By Sarah Killury
No seasonal adjustment to AUL in the Macalister Irrigation District

Given the dry irrigation season, many Macalister Irrigation District irrigators have queried why there has been no seasonal district-wide adjustment to Annual Use Limit (AUL).
Annual use limits set a total amount of water that can be applied per hectare and ensure that farm irrigation practices limit the off-farm impacts of …
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