Big irrigation advances depend on local action

Further improvement in water use efficiency is possible but progress will be incremental, relying on local commitment to change.

This is the view of Peter Toome, Chairman of Irrigation Australia, the peak irrigation industry body which accommodates primary production, water authority, engineering and design, educational and retail sectors.

The Vision Document

In conjunction with the collaborative irrigation research investor, the National Program for Sustainable Irrigation, and the CRC for Irrigation Futures, a review was recently undertaken of research and extension. A resulting “vision document” will be released at the Irrigation Australia conference in Sydney on June 8.

“As expected, the document will refer to the gap between research and adoption, giving extension a high priority,” Peter Toome said.

“Although a framework is suggested for the way forward, the detail and the action will come from those with an interest in water use efficiency, environmental sustainability and growth in agricultural and horticultural production which will rely on irrigation.

“Irrigation Australia holds a strong view that research alone is not enough and that a difference is only made when there is adoption, which means we are pleased with the high priority being given to extension.”

The continuing gap and lag time, however, makes him think that new approaches must be taken to the research-extension-adoption process.

Obstacles to change

He believes that one of the obstacles is not knowing what motivates change or resistance at the local level, which can bring in factors like the age of participants or suspicion that costs of change will not be justified by returns. Infrastructure may not necessarily encourage change (e.g. an improved channel delivery system will not encourage a step towards precision pressurised irrigation). And it is possible that some of the lag is due to a need to adapt the technologies to suit local practices.

Reducing market failure

Market failure on the extension and adoption front, it is suggested, may be reduced by a mechanism at the local level which analyses factors affecting local barriers to making improvements. Although a fee for service model may not initially be possible, it should be the long term aim. With an understanding of regional characteristics, assistance can be given to synthesise information from a variety of sources for local application. Each location will have its own peculiarities and while progress will be incremental the pace of adoption of improved practices will be increased because the transfer of knowledge will be undertaken in a way which is sympathetic to local needs.

Among the various sources of knowledge may be participants in the same form of irrigated production but from another location, or irrigators involved in other enterprises (e.g. grape growers with experience in crop water requirements at each growth stage, and apply precision irrigation and moisture monitoring, may be able to transfer knowledge and ideas to fruit growers or milk producers). This highlights the place of collaborative research and extension in value-adding and reducing duplication.

Collaborative research

While collaborative research has been encouraged for National Program for Sustainable Irrigation projects, Peter Toome says it is worth considering how the capacity to achieve common goals can be enhanced.

“Our common big picture goals are to understand and adapt to climate change, use water more efficiently and apply irrigation in a sustainable manner to address the nation’s interest in food security and catering for a growing population,” he said.

“The big things, however, will be achieved only with extension and adoption processes that work at the local level and which consider the relevant social, policy and resource issues which apply regardless of the type of rural enterprise.

“Collaborative research which works back from the challenges we face to find solutions is going to be more effective than having competing institutions applying for funding based on their own project interests or investing in projects which remain too tightly linked to a single irrigated enterprise.

“For example, adaptation to increasing temperatures and changing rainfall patterns could be maximised by a collaborative effort which looks at the total picture. This will range from an understanding of regional soil types and their deficiencies or resilience in a warmer environment with higher evaporation and reduced water availability, to an assessment of the ability of local producers to change practices or switch to new forms of production. 

“The total research effort may span plant genetics and new technologies to find answers. This suggests there is an advantage in bringing commercial collaborators to the table early – making sure that research delivers products that can stand up in a competitive marketplace. It will mean that in addition to effective extension of knowledge emanating from research, local irrigators will be well served by those who design and manufacture the tools they’ll need to use.”

More information

Download Vision Document

Caption: Effective extension and adoption is a high priority for Irrigation Australia’s Peter Toome

Citation

Land & Water Australia. 2010. Big irrigation advances depend on local action. [Online] (Updated June 7th, 2010)
Available at: http://lwa.gov.au/node/3757 [Accessed Tuesday 12th of March 2013 02:26:59 PM ].