irrigated

Salinity management practice guidelines

A better understanding of plant requirements and the highly efficient management of water has led irrigators to apply water to accurately meet crop needs. This has meant a considerable reduction in the amount of water flushing through the root-zone. As a result, soil salinity levels have risen. Current drought conditions and low water allocations are likely to result in even less water being used to flush salts from the root-zone. The declining quality of water resources means that actively removing (more)...

Final Report 7 – Project plans

Irrigation Futures of the Goulburn Broken Catchment The Goulburn Broken Catchment is known as the food bowl of Australia. It covers 2.4 million hectares and has a population of around 200,000 people (Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2005). Irrigated agriculture is a major business engine in the Goulburn Broken region, producing more than $1.2 billion at the farm gate in 2001-2002 from about 280,000 hectares of irrigated agricultural land. Investment in on-farm and processing (more)...

Final Report 6 – Scenario planning for individuals and businesses

Irrigation Futures of the Goulburn Broken Catchment The Goulburn Broken Catchment is known as the food bowl of Australia. It covers 2.4 million hectares and has a population of around 200,000 people (Department of Sustainability and Environment 2005). Irrigated agriculture is a major business engine in the Goulburn Broken region, producing more than $1.2 billion at the farm gate in 2001-2002 from about 280,000 hectares of irrigated agricultural land. Investment in on-farm and processing (more)...

Final Report 5 – Scenario implications for catchment management

The Goulburn Broken Catchment is known as the food bowl of Australia. It covers 2.4 million hectares and has a population of around 200,000 people (Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2005). Irrigated agriculture is a major business engine in the Goulburn Broken region, producing more than $1.2 billion at the farm gate in 2001-2002 from about 280,000 hectares of irrigated agricultural land. Investment in on-farm and processing infrastructure is about A$100 million per annum (Michael Young (more)...

Knowledge management in irrigated cotton and grains - stage II

This report summarises the major findings which have arisen from the project Knowledge Management in Cotton and Grains Irrigation. This report should be considered in conjunction with the detailed evaluation report prepared by Coutts JR consultants. The lessons learned are detailed and recommendations provided where appropriate. They are discussed under the following headings: Knowledge Management concepts and (more)...

Aboriginal Management and Planning for Country

Summary report on Subprogram 5 of the Ord-Bonaparte Program.

The Summary Booklet includes a CD-ROM with a PDF version of the full report.

A CD-ROM of the full report can also be obtained separately - order product code PR040788.

Irrigation Insights 2 - Subsurface Drainage Design and Management Practices in Irrigated Areas of Australia

It is widely understood that irrigation development results in deep percolation past the rootzone, which recharges the groundwater. With flood irrigation, watertables often rise at around 0.5 m a year until a new equilibrium is established where the watertable fluctuates from the soil surface to around 3 m deep. A significant part of all irrigation areas in Australia are currently in this condition or approaching such equilibrium. Irrigation areas in southeastern Australia, particularly in the Murray (more)...

Improving water use efficiency by reducing groundwater recharge under irrigated pastures

Approximately 65% of water extracted for irrigation in Northern Victoria and over 30% in the NSW Murray Valley is applied to pastures. In 1996, Murray Irrigation Limited (MIL) introduced a Total Farm Water Balance Policy which aimed to limit farm water use to sustainable levels and hence to reduce groundwater recharge to the district watertable. The dairy industry had some concerns with the original limit of 4 Ml per hectare and initiated discussions (more)...

Polyacrylamides in Irrigated Agriculture

Polyacrylamide (PAM) has been sold in the United States since 1995 for reducing irrigation-induced erosion and enhancing infiltration. PAM’s soil stabilizing and flocculating properties have also substantially improved runoff water quality by reducing sediments, N, ortho and total P, COD, pesticides, weed seeds, and microorganisms in runoff. The first series of practical field tests of (more)...