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Salinity management practice guidelines

Managing root-zone salinity for irrigated horticultural crops in winter rainfall zones of Australia

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)...

Improving the water use efficiency of horticultural crops

NPIRD project CDH1

The results of this project show that there is considerable scope for improving the water use efficiency of fruit production in Australia. The two year project has sought to test the partial rootzone drying (PRD) irrigation method, originally developed for grapevines, in a range of woody perennial horticultural crops. The technique requires that both wet and dry rootzones are simultaneously created. Results with grapes, citrus and pears have given exciting results. (more)...

Open Hydroponics: Risks and Opportunities

Stage 1 Final Report

Open Hydroponics (OH) is an innovative horticultural management program with over 2700ha currently being adopted in Australia and presents an opportunity for
more sustainable production (economic and environmental). Conventional drip irrigation growers are also adopting selected Open Hydroponic principles, which use similar practices and carry the same possible benefits and environmental risks.

Open Hydroponics - Risks and Opportunities - Stage 1 Project Findings Overview

National Program for Sustainable Irrigation Fact Sheet

Open Hydroponics (OH) is an innovative horticultural management program with over 2700ha currently being adopted in Australia and presents an opportunity for more sustainable production (economic and environmental). Conventional drip irrigation growers are also adopting selected Open Hydroponic principles, which use similar practices and carry the same possible benefits and environmental risks. OH aims to increase productivity by (more)...

Water Reuse & Recycling in Horticulture

Sustainable Irrigation Program Research Proposal

Australia currently sends to “waste” close to 86% of effluent water. In the past 4 years national re-use of effluent has doubled to 14% of all effluent produced, however this remains a small proportion of the amount of water still running to “waste”. The potential exists to use this water for horticultural production freeing up costly potable water. There are concerns about the use of recycled water from both a horticultural producer and consumer perspective. Participants throughout the supply (more)...