As the irrigation season ramps up across Tasmania, researchers at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) are preparing to measure exactly what happens to water on irrigated soils – how much goes in and how much runs off.
Dr Ana Avila has recently joined TIA working on the $1.6 million Growing Value from Irrigation for Tasmanian Agriculture project, funded by the Tasmanian Government through the Agricultural Innovation Fund. Her research will focus on water losses from run-off and deep drainage in the outer spans of pivot irrigators, helping farmers improve pivot design and irrigation scheduling.
The research team is working closely with Tasmanian Irrigation, which manages 19 schemes statewide. These schemes have transformed farming regions into high-value production areas thanks to high reliability irrigation water.
“We are addressing a key knowledge gap in irrigation science. Despite decades of research there is still no clear quantification of the real effectiveness of centre-pivot irrigation systems in the field,” Dr Avila said.
To read the full article, click the link below: Research to boost irrigation benefits | University of Tasmania
