|
 Meng Zhengxiu is working with
Mark Rivers and Keith
Smettem looking at "Alternative irrigation systems for the
Harvey Irrigation Area - An assessment of options and costs for improved water and
nutrient management". The principal objective of this
project is to investigate the potential to further maximize the
economic benefits and minimize off-site impacts of irrigated
agriculture within the Harvey Irrigation Area by comparing
efficiencies of five different irrigation systems applied to
pastures grazed by herds of dairy cattle.
The five irrigation systems are:
- Surface irrigation
- Centre pivot irrigation
- Sub-surface drip irrigation
- Irrigation through floppy sprinklers
- Solid set irrigation.
These systems will compared for:
- water use
- pasture production
- energy consumption
- water loss through runoff.
Measurement of these parameters will allow comparisons to be
made for these particular variables, but also of the various
measures of water and energy use efficiency.
The final objective is to demonstrate to individual irrigators
the range of options available to improve water use efficiency
and achieve productivity gains, helping them to choose the
irrigation systems which is most suitable for them, and to allow
Harvey Water to make more informed decisions regarding irrigation
infrastructure at the irrigation district scale.
Partners
There are five principal project partners in the work:
Department of Agriculture and
Food, Western Australia
The ARWA Centre for Ecohydrology (this site)
Harvey
Water;
The WA college
of Agriculture-Harvey Campus
Netafim
Waterman
Irrigation
|