Irrigation Journal Spring 2023

RESEARCH: Reducing runoff and increasing infiltration under long centre pivots

IN THIS ISSUE:

IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION 2024 POTATO IRRIGATION: SETTING UP FOR SUMMER IRRIGATING A MULTILEVEL APARTMENT COMPLEX

INNOVATION IN IRRIGATION: How manufacturers are using 3D printing Australia's largest stormwater harvesting scheme

Irrigation Australia life member receives Medal of the Order of Australia

DRIVEN SKIDS & TRAILERS

HWR SERIES

VORTEX SERIES

WET PRIME SERIES

VERTICAL TURBINES

SUBMERSIBLE MOTORS

END SUCTION CENTRIFUGAL

DRIVES & PROTECTION

CLEANWATER CENTRIFUGAL

VR SERIES

A comprehensive range of Auto Prime diesel packaged options for fixed and portable installations.

Wear-resistant pumps manufactured with high-chrome white iron to maximize resistance against destructive abrasives and maintain peak performance in light slurry applications.

A unique pumping solution that eliminates costly and disruptive downtime by passing through the most challenging solids using a recessed impeller.

Self-priming pumps designed for reliable solids and clear liquids handling. Continues to reprime automatically after initial priming.

Submersible turbine pumps available in custom configurations to meet demanding application requirements.

Our submersible motors are tough, built to last and come in a variety of construction options.

Close-coupled, electric motor driven pumps available in single or three-phase standard voltages to fit your site requirements.

Equip a Franklin drive to protect, monitor, and meet the different needs and demands of each application with the same pump.

Centrifugal pumps that feature heavy-duty ductile iron volutes, designed to handle tough applications with high efficiency.

Vertical multi-stage pumps are available in high- and low-speed models for superior durability, efficiency, and performance in a wide variety of applications.

REGULAR ITEMS

ON THE FRONT COVER: Students auditing a centre pivot system in the offseason as part of one of Irrigation Australia's training courses. Read about our courses on page 38.

WELCOME

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

On 25 October at 11am AEST, Irrigation Australia Ltd will host its annual general meeting online. At this stage, five of ten director roles will be open. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Andrew Ogden who, after many years of dedicated service, is reaching the end of his allowable term under our constitution, and Colin Bendall who recently resigned.

For members who are new to the process, you might have noticed in our recent our e-news an opportunity to consider nominating. You can find a copy of the constitution here for reference. If the number of nominations matches the available spots, the appointment of director roles will be automatic. However, if the response is similar to last year, where we received 19 nominations, there will be a ballot in September. This year, I am one of the directors up for re-nomination, and I want to take this chance to encourage both nominations and participation in the likely ballot process.

I was motivated to join the Irrigation Australia Board because I felt I had a viewpoint that might complement and enhance the many benefits the association was providing. There is more to do (and we are doing it!) but I am very proud of the achievements of the current board and the initiatives we are actioning after some major changes and financial challenges for the business.

I’ve talked about enhancing member benefits and I’m pleased to be participating in a membership subcommittee that is currently developing recommendations that will drive value

to members as a priority for the next 12 months. Aside from modifications to the membership structure, I’m also looking forward to a few events coming up – there are some great ideas starting to manifest that are strongly aligned with our member focus.

Finally, we are reviewing the constitution so we can put it to members at the 2024 AGM. Five years have passed since the last review and no major changes are being sought; this is just an opportunity to tidy and tweak the document to better support the future challenges. I know change is not happening at the pace Dave and the team – or any of us – would like to see, but it is happening, and it is exciting.

If any of this resonates with you, please consider throwing your hat in the ring for a board role in September. We are seeking people who have a good understanding and knowledge of the irrigation industry or membership organisations in similar sectors, as well as business management experience, including financial stewardship. A willingness to get involved and the ability to adapt during uncertain times are also valuable attributes. Based on the current strategic direction, I would also add that experience in industry development, policy, regulation and RTO governance would be very valuable to the association.

The ‘big things’ that successful candidates will oversee include:

• significant growth in demand for training services and an impending quality audit for the RTO

• innovative processes for growing memberships and attracting income

to support the staff and contractors who deliver member services

• and of course, a major international conference and exhibition in 2024. Just a few things!

At the time of writing, the final touches are being put on this year’s Waterwise Expo in Perth, which I’m really looking forward to. It’s a great program and an amazing venue. Kudos to Tracy Martin and team for their enormous effort in bringing the event together in often challenging circumstances.

Please enjoy this edition of the journal.

FROM THE CEO

G’day again. I can’t believe I’m writing this in August. Things are still flat out but there’s a great vibe in our offices with some new staff on board, a bit of team building and continuing improvements across our main functions.

I thought in this edition I’d focus on a plan that we’re developing for a new thing – for now, its placeholder title is ‘Irrigation Futures’. I realise this title has history in the industry, and it may not be where we ultimately settle.

This ‘thing’ is an attempt to bring together a whole heap of the strategic ideas the Board has sought to progress. It is essentially a renewal of the Centre of Irrigation Excellence (COIE), which was established in 2016 to focus on increasing the range and standard of irrigation skills in Australia.

Despite facing challenges in recent years, the COIE has managed to achieve success, particularly by serving as a bridge to manufacturers and ensuring our learning resources stay up to date. However, there is always room for improvement and that’s exactly where our focus lies.

Our draft vision for Irrigation Futures, or the new COIE, is a commitment to building a sustainable irrigation industry by applying the best research, highquality skills and career development, and balanced policy advice.

What do you reckon?

The new vision encompasses four programs:

• Irrigation policy and industry profile: We plan to increase our influence on government and others for the benefit of members and the broader industry and create a more attractive platform for investment.

• Adoption of best practice, including R&D: This includes our involvement in the One Basin CRC and more collaboration with existing university partners as well as members to attempt to drive and celebrate product innovation and adoption.

• Industry skilling, including Irrigation Training Australia: This is clearly one of our strengths. We will not lose sight of the original intention of the Centre of Excellence but will take a more holistic approach to training and education, including higher education.

• Industry careers: We will build industry resources to support our members in employee attraction, retention, workforce planning and more. The challenges of competing in the current employment market have been raised everywhere I’ve been over the last 10 months. Our proposal involves recognising our existing COIE sponsors as foundational supporters and then expanding the model to offer various levels of benefits, actively seeking new supporters who share an interest in these programs. Additionally, we are committed to recognising Irrigation Australia’s largest financial supporters through memberships. We also want to take a member-led approach, with active involvement from individuals engaged with these programs. This way, we can be certain that what we are doing is relevant and we are achieving the best bang for what will be a very limited buck for a while.

We are currently working on a prospectus, and we expect it to be available soon after this edition of the journal is released.

As Simon has hinted, by the time this is out, we will have completed a wonderful Waterwise Expo in Perth. At the time of writing, I’m looking forward to three weeks straight of travel and events; hopefully I’ll get to meet plenty of members in the flesh during this time. Please reach out to me at dave. cameron@irrigation.org.au to provide any feedback or if you are keen for a chat.

TECHNOLOGY: RURAL

INVESTING IN CENTRE PIVOT AND LATERAL MOVE SYSTEMS

SNAPSHOT

• Centre pivot and lateral move systems have advantages over surface irrigation systems, including precise water application, reduced variability, lower labour requirements, opportunities for fertigation and less land-forming required.

• However, they often come at a higher capital cost, use more energy, have specific skill requirements, and require relatively high-quality water.

• Whether it is worth investing in a centre pivot or lateral move system will depend on many variables, including the grower’s goals and the characteristics of the landscape, soil, crop and water source.

• Lateral move systems are generally more labour intensive than centre pivots but have advantages in some situations.

Is a centre pivot or lateral move system worth the investment, or does a surface irrigation system make more sense? This article by Ag Vic explores the pros and cons of each and outlines the factors to consider when deciding on a system.

Advantages and disadvantages of centre pivot and lateral move systems

Compared with surface irrigation systems, centre pivot and lateral move systems have a number of advantages. These are:

• Precise application – the systems can apply a prescribed volume of water to match crop water requirements. This reduces the opportunity for surface runoff or deep percolation if the system is designed to match soil infiltration characteristics.

• Reduced variability – the reported application efficiencies for new, well-designed machines are generally in the 80 to 95 per cent range, compared with 50 to 90 per cent for surface irrigation systems.

• Lower labour requirements – labour requirements are generally lower than surface irrigation, but this depends on the system and the degree of automation of the machine.

• Opportunities for fertigation – these systems allow the targeted application of small quantities of nutrients, with a reasonable uniformity of application and less risk of nutrient losses. The irrigation system may also be used to apply herbicides and pesticides.

• Less land-forming – the system can work on rolling topography. However, there might be a need for some landforming for surface drainage or rainfall induced runoff.

There are many factors to consider when deciding whether a centre pivot or lateral move system is a worthwhile investment.

Centre pivot and lateral move systems enable a precise application of water to match crop water requirements.

However, they also have some disadvantages. These include:

• Cost – the systems have a relatively high capital cost compared to surface irrigation systems, unless substantial land-forming is required for optimum performance of the surface system. The running costs can also be significant and need to be evaluated during the design process.

• Energy requirements – these systems require some form of energy source (electric or diesel) to operate.

• Water quality – water may need to be filtered before use to prevent system blockages with sediments. Poor water quality can affect the longevity of irrigation infrastructure.

• Skill requirement – operation and maintenance of these systems will require different skills to those required for surface irrigation systems.

Investing in a centre pivot and lateral move system

Before deciding on installing this system, growers should consider the following:

1. Is the grower converting to a centre pivot or lateral move system from a border-check system or a greenfield site? This could have implications for costs. It is important to consider what the grower wants to achieve by their investment.

2. Is water saving the main goal for considering centre pivot or a lateral move system? In sandy soil you can generally achieve substantial water savings, but not on heavy soil.

3. Is labour saving the main goal? Centre pivot and lateral move systems come with substantial running costs that the grower should be aware of.

4. Is the grower aware of how to manage a centre pivot or lateral move system? The requirements are different from border-check systems.

The following aspects need to be considered at the planning stage:

Land area. Larger systems have high average application rates at the outside of the circle that may exceed the infiltration rate of the soil and consequently cause run-off.

Land shape. Centre pivot systems irrigate a circle, which covers only 78 per cent of a square. This can be an issue on dairy farms with limited available land. End guns used on centre pivots to irrigate square properties are not recommended (see below). Lateral move systems can be a better option to irrigate rectangular areas.

Land slope. Centre pivots can irrigate significantly undulating land. Some minor earthmoving may be needed to connect depression areas and provide drainage for runoff from rainfall events. In some cases, where the development of border check irrigation would require significant cut and fill, the cost per hectare of installing a centre pivot can be lower than border-check irrigation.

Soil type. Centre pivots can irrigate any soil type. However, sprinklers should be selected to suit soil infiltration characteristics, as excessive average application rates can cause runoff. It is desirable the pivot irrigates one soil type or soil types with similar infiltration characteristics.

Planning permit. A planning permit is not required to install the machine. A permit is necessary to move soil and native vegetation.

Water supply. The water supply flow rate and the timing and duration of delivery for centre pivot and lateral move

TECHNOLOGY: RURAL

systems can be quite different to those required for bordercheck irrigation. These systems often require more frequent, but lower flow rates over a longer period. For example, where a block of pasture might be irrigated once a week over a 48-hour period under border-check irrigation, a similar block may be irrigated twice a week over 96 hours with centre pivot and lateral move systems.

It is essential to understand the available water supply rate before designing the irrigation system. Ask the question: Will water be available as required, with an appropriate flow rate, for the necessary duration and frequency?

It is important to note the distance from the water source to the centre pivot may affect capital and running costs. Water quality. The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of irrigation water can affect pivot performance. Filtration may be required to prevent nozzle blockage.

Centre pivot or lateral move?

Centre pivot systems are anchored at one end and rotate around a fixed central point. Lateral systems are not anchored, and both ends of the machine move at a constant speed up and down a paddock. Consider the following when deciding which to use:

• Capital costs per hectare for a lateral move are generally lower than for pivots, as lateral moves are better suited to irrigate larger areas.

• Lateral moves irrigate back over the most recently irrigated land when changing direction. This poses management problems such as non-uniform irrigation intervals over the

paddock causing temporary waterlogging and aggravating wheel rutting problems. Management of this is more difficult than for a pivot, where the driest ground is immediately ahead of the pivot.

• Lateral moves have the same sprinkler flow rate along their full length, as each tower moves at the same speed. The high average application rates occurring at the outer sections of large centre pivots are not an issue with lateral move systems.

• Most lateral moves are powered by a diesel engine mounted on the machine, which pumps out of an open channel. The machine-mounted pump and motor arrangement precludes the use of electric power and offpeak operating costs.

• Where the lateral move is supplied directly from an open channel, no supply main line is necessary therefore friction loss is reduced.

• Lateral move systems are more labour intensive because of the need to supervise the diesel operation, open channel maintenance and regular checking of the tower guidance system. Pivot operation is generally simpler.

Acknowledgment. This is an edited version of an article published by Agriculture Victoria and reprinted here with permission. The full article can be found here

Information. Agriculture Victoria has designed an online tool for irrigation system selection and design. You can access it here

TECHNOLOGY: URBAN

THREE WAYS TO IRRIGATE A NEW MULTI-LEVEL APARTMENT COMPLEX

SNAPSHOT

• Irrigation designers and installers face particular challenges when working with irrigation systems in new multi-level apartment complexes.

• One of the first issues that needs to be considered is whether the body corporate will have complete control of the system in both titled and common areas.

• When a rainwater harvesting system will be used, the irrigation system must be designed to operate from the flows available from both the chosen pump and the potable supply.

• Irrigation systems are often installed at the eleventh hour once hard surfaces and finishes are already installed; this can present its own set of challenges.

• Ideally, the irrigation system would be considered early in the construction, but if this is not possible, there are some workarounds. This article outlines three approaches: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Irrigating landscaped areas in new multi-level apartment complexes has its own unique set of challenges when it comes to controlling and automating the irrigation system.

Three main challenges

The first challenge is often to do with delineating between titled and common areas throughout the building. Do you want each apartment to have the ability to control its own irrigation system? Do you want body corporate to have complete control of common and titled areas? These questions must be answered, and the answers will determine how the pipework and control cable will be run throughout the building during early stages of construction. The second challenge is to do with the water supply to the irrigation system. Many multi-storey developments now have a hydraulic consultant designing the water supply pipework throughout the building, and many are opting to install a rainwater harvesting system that is designed to feed toilet cisterns and irrigation throughout the building.

Irrigating landscaped areas in new multi-level apartment complexes has its own set of unique challenges.

When installing a rainwater harvesting system, it is crucial to ensure the duty of the chosen pump closely matches the availability of pressure and flow in the potable water supply. This important consideration is often overlooked when designing the irrigation system. The pump that is supplied may have great pressure and flow; however, when the rainwater tank runs out of water and the system flicks over to the potable water supply, there is often a lack of adequate pressure in the potable main, so the irrigation system functions poorly. The irrigation system must be designed to operate from the flows available from both the pump and the potable supply.

From experience, many of the pump/changeover devices systems that are being specified by hydraulic consultants are from AKS Industries and All Purpose Pumps.

The third challenge is a construction and programming challenge – simply put, the design and installation of the irrigation system is often left until the eleventh hour within a construction program. Hard surfaces and finishes have already been installed; no cabling has been installed to automate the irrigation system. The only option then seems to be to install battery timers. This will cause frustration when managing the irrigation system for the rest of the life of the system.

How can you deal with these challenges? There are many options. But below I’m going to run you through three: the good, the bad, and the ugly (but with a good personality).

• Run a two-wire decoder cable alongside the mainline and loop into all irrigated areas.

• Choose a decoder controller that will allow remote access and adjustment to the irrigation program based on local weather (Hunter Hydrawise EZ decoder system, Rain Bird IQ Cloud, Rainbird IQ4, Hunter Centralis or similar). For titled areas:

• Install a separate irrigation main with a flow sensor and master valve downstream of each private water meter (on the rainwater supply meter).

• Run a multicore cable alongside the irrigation mainline, and loop into all irrigated areas.

• Choose a Wi-Fi-enabled controller that can be installed close to the modem within the property (Hunter Hydrawise, Rain Bird ESP-Me).

2. The ‘bad’ option: Have the site plumber run a shared rainwater supply to all irrigated areas with no cable

Choose to install ‘tap timers’ or battery-operated valves throughout the site. To really make this a terrible option, ensure you have an apprentice or gardener to set all the controllers to come on at the same time, ensuring complete ineffectiveness of the irrigation system. (I have seen this happen).

Unfortunately, these battery controllers are often installed throughout the site. It is very difficult to manage effective watering of the site with a battery timer.

3. The ‘ugly’ option: Have the site plumber run a shared rainwater supply to all irrigated areas with no cable, but use some new technology to manage watering.

Actually, This option may not be too ugly. It can be achieved by using a product called Linktap. This is a battery timer, but with some features that makes it super powerful. Each Linktap can be linked to a wireless gateway (connected to a modem) that can allow flow monitoring, adjustments according to weather conditions, and remote access via an app. Each titled area could have its own account, and the common area could have a separate account. This option offers great value to builders, developers, body corporates and apartment owners.

Acknowledgment. This article was originally published as a blog post here and is reprinted here with permission.

1. The ‘good’ option: Do the irrigation rough early in the construction of the building

For common areas:

• Install a separate irrigation main with a flow sensor and master valve that feeds all common irrigated areas throughout the building and gardens.

DEALING WITH RUNOFF AND POOR INFILTRATION UNDER CENTRE PIVOT IRRIGATORS

SNAPSHOT

• Irrigation application rates by centre pivots often exceed the soil’s infiltration rate, especially on the outer spans of long pivots. This results in excess runoff and suboptimal irrigation.

• A recent project in Tasmania investigated how growers can address this problem.

• The researchers identified irrigation and soil management strategies that can reduce runoff and increase infiltration.

• Investing in three shorter pivots instead of a single long pivot will often be worthwhile. Shorter pivots improve the match between application rate and infiltration rate, meaning less water is wasted and crop yield improves. The payback period could be as rapid as two seasons.

• The study also highlighted the importance of knowledge sharing and training.

Centre pivot irrigation is the most common form of irrigation in Australia, and the fastest growing type of irrigation globally. In Tasmania alone, it is estimated that more than 4,000 centre pivot irrigators have been installed in the last 25 years. One problem that many centre-pivot users face is excess runoff and poor infiltration, particularly under the outer spans of long pivots. A recent research project by the Tasmanian Agricultural Productivity Group (TAPG) and the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) has looked at different approaches to addressing this problem.

Low infiltration rates

Researcher Dr Marcus Hardie explains, “Many of Tasmania’s agricultural soils have low surface infiltration rates, due to a combination of inherent properties, carbon loss, water repellence, crusting and surface compaction.

“This means irrigation application rates often exceed the infiltration rate of the soil, especially on spans longer than 400 m, especially when the time available for irrigation is constrained, such as when using night electricity tariffs.

“This results in runoff, erosion, waterlogging in low lying areas, and drought in elevated areas.

“Growers are only able to apply between 5-8 mm irrigation a day, which is barely able to keep up with daily evapotranspiration over summer, resulting in what dairy farmers have coined the ‘green drought’, when irrigation can keep pasture green but not supply sufficient water to maximise growth.”

Many of Tasmania’s agricultural soils have low surface infiltration rates, due to a combination of inherent properties, carbon loss, water repellence, crusting and surface compaction.

More runoff under outer spans

In centre pivot irrigators, the travel speed of sprinklers over the ground increases with increasing distance from the centre, thereby reducing the time available to apply water to any given point or area. This means that more water

must be applied in a shorter time to meet crop demand, so average application rate under a sprinkler increases with distance from the centre. While there are some measures that can be taken to reduce the impact of this change, there comes a point somewhere along the length of a pivot where the average application rate under a sprinkler exceeds the infiltration rate of the soil. This issue becomes more apparent under long pivots (generally longer than eight spans) and leads to ponding, then runoff under the outer spans.

The project

Through interviews with growers and people involved in irrigator design, manufacture, system design and consulting, the researchers gathered information about irrigation and soil management strategies that can be used to reduce runoff and maximise infiltration.

In a second component of the study, the researchers used modelling techniques combined with a case study and economic analysis to compare two centre pivot options: one long pivot versus three shorter pivots. They estimated the amount of runoff likely to occur under both scenarios and how this would affect the yield of the two crops, wheat and canola.

RESEARCH

Economic analysis was used to estimate the costs associated with runoff when application rate exceeds infiltration rate. ‘Costs’ include both the real cost associated with buying and pumping water that is ultimately unused by the crop because it runs off, and the foregone revenue due to suboptimal yield under the portion of the pivot that experiences runoff. The researchers then estimated the payback period for one long pivot versus three shorter pivots.

How to reduce runoff and maximise infiltration

The project identified three broad approaches that growers can take to reduce runoff and increase infiltration under pivots. These approaches, which include changing soil management and irrigation techniques, using smaller pivots, and improving the match between application rate and infiltration rate, are outlined below.

Soil management and irrigation techniques. Infiltration can be increased, and runoff reduced, using a range of soil management options such as:

• strip-till, stubble retention, controlled traffic, reduced tillage, zero-till and cover crops

• soil amelioration through application of gypsum and lime and various surfactants

• commencing irrigation while the soil is still moist from winter, and irrigating while it is raining or soon after to make use of pre-existing soil moisture to assist infiltration

• applying a low volume, fast irrigation before the main irrigation

• applying low daily rates of constant irrigation for the crop establishment period, then higher rates once the crop is established and there is some ground cover.

Use smaller pivots. Investing in several smaller pivots might have advantages over using a single long pivot. They offer more flexibility for crop rotation and irrigation management and also avoid the issue of runoff under the outer spans. The study showed that the capital cost of the three smaller pivots was 12 per cent more than the single large option, which is far less than is often assumed.

The researchers used models to predict how the yields of canola and wheat are likely to be affected by excess runoff and poor infiltration at the outer spans of long centre pivots, compared with expected yields under three small centre pivots.

The large pivot showed an average canola yield penalty (or the unrealised yield potential) of 25 per cent as a result of the impact of ineffective irrigation in the outer spans. The corresponding figure for wheat was 27 per cent, while there was no yield penalty for either crop under the smaller pivots.

The capital cost difference between the one large and three smaller pivots used in the case study was $155,890. The yield difference between the pivot options enables a rapid payback of the extra capital cost of the smaller pivots. Coupled with the pumping cost savings of the smaller pivots,

the improved revenue could pay back the higher capital cost for the smaller pivots in two seasons of growing canola or four seasons of growing wheat.

Of course, growing one crop continuously is not the nature of irrigated cropping, but these examples illustrate that the higher capital cost of the smaller pivot option should not be a barrier to the installation of smaller, more flexible pivot infrastructure. Higher value crops, such as carrot and brassica seed crops, would likely show much shorter payback periods.

SOME TECHNIQUES USED BY GROWERS TO REDUCE RUNOFF UNDER LONG PIVOTS

• One irrigator has used Dragon Line or mobile drip irrigation – effectively replacing the sprinklers with drip tape that drags behind the pivot span – to increase the wetted footprint (Farquhar et al, 2021). This improves infiltration and reduces water use. A major disadvantage is that the drip lines are prone to being eaten by livestock when the irrigator is not in use.

• One very long pivot (more than 1 km long, 20 spans) is used to irrigate only 25 per cent of the full circle per season. This allows one intensively irrigated sector each season, with three rainfed crops in the other sectors. It also means rainfed crops can be irrigated opportunistically if necessary and allows the use of average application rates that are more in keeping with a smaller pivot under a much bigger circle, with minimal runoff.

• Start irrigating early while there is still substantial moisture in the soil profile. Select application rates that are within infiltration capacity, accepting that the lower volumes of water will be insufficient to meet crop demand at the peak of the season. However, if the grower keeps on top of irrigation, the crop can draw on stored soil moisture during peak demand. Constant (24/7) light irrigations during peak demand periods help meet crop demand and extend the life of stored moisture. This approach comes with the risk of failing to meet crop demand (e.g., if a breakdown occurs or if peak demand lasts longer than expected).

• Use a combination of VRI and surface drainage to accommodate soils with different infiltration and available water storage characteristics. In many cases, surface drainage is recommended to deal with excess water in winter or after heavy rain, so although it appears inefficient to apply water that is then disposed of via drainage, the combination works as part of an entire irrigation/drainage system.

Improve the match between application rate and infiltration rate. For longer centre pivots, some management options exist to increase infiltration and reduce runoff.

Average application rate can be reduced by reducing sprinkler output and/or travel speed or increasing the wetted area. There are limits to the extent of change that can be tolerated in sprinkler output and travel speed, since the combination of these two factors needs to ensure enough water is applied to meet the crop demands over the period of the return cycle of the pivot.

Wetted area can be increased using different designs of sprinklers, such as rotator and top-span mounted sprinklers, running at higher pressure (which has downsides of higher pumping energy costs and droplet impact energy, which may damage the soil surface) or the use of boom backs that allow mounting of two sprinklers off each outlet, one in front of the span and one behind. Boom backs are readily available and used by some irrigators, but a common comment is that they tend to be light-weight construction, have a limited operational life span and provide only a few metres of offset. Upton Engineering (Corowa, NSW) has fitted more robust boom backs that spread up to 5 m between sprinkler centres but believe it would be possible to achieve 12 m separation with appropriate selection of materials and cable supports.

The importance of training

The researchers emphasise the importance of training, particularly for growers who are new to irrigation and are buying into new irrigation schemes.

They suggest the following:

• Training should be developed for different categories based on existing knowledge and benchmarking audits of irrigation operations from within each of the categories.

These audits would be conducted across groups of growers who had participated in previous training and those who had not had any previous exposure to training. This would allow the new training programs to be targeted based on levels of prior knowledge.

• Training should be made available across the industry (i.e., include sellers and other off-farm sectors of the industry). Irrigation Australia offers certified courses, and some supply companies offer in-house training courses for sellers and installers. The local knowledge component (for example, knowledge about local soils) could be improved by involving the supply sector in on-ground training.

• Experienced irrigators should be recruited, and compensated appropriately, to help deliver content and provide peer-to-peer learning.

• The management of irrigation and soil cannot be separated. There are many soil management approaches that can be used to enhance infiltration of applied irrigation, and soil management issues need to be given equal weighting in the information provided through training.

The researchers would like to see the knowledge from this project incorporated into a statewide project on soil and irrigation management for Tasmania.

Acknowledgment. This article is based on the report

The feasibility of a Y-span centre pivot irrigator by the Tasmanian Agricultural Productivity Group (TAPG). Thanks to John McPhee and Marcus Hardie for providing information.

CENTRE PIVOT AND LATERAL MOVE

Low-maintenance centre pivot system for Victorian turf grower

Big River Instant Turf in Victoria recently installed a new centre pivot irrigation system to provide uniform watering and reduce the labour associated with regular maintenance.

Joe Erceg originally purchased the farm at Bacchus Marsh more than 20 years ago. He started out growing broccoli, but later switched to turf and now produces more than a million square metres annually.

For years, Joe relied on a fixed sprinkler system for irrigation. However, as the business expanded, he needed a new approach to reduce time spent on maintenance tasks such as changing valves. He engaged Water Dynamics Yarrawonga to design and install a centre pivot system.

HYDRAULIC CENTRE PIVOT SYSTEMS

The Water Dynamics team supplied four hydraulic drive T-L pivot systems covering a total of 77.2 ha.

One of the benefits of this system is that it employs hydraulic technology that is already familiar to irrigators, making it easy and safe to use and service. Another advantage is its continuous movement. Alignment is maintained by a simple hydraulic spool valve. The alignment system moves the spool valve, metering the required hydraulic fluid flow for each tower, maintaining continuous movement and alignment with the end tower. This results in less gearbox wear than the stop-start operation of electrically driven systems.

SYSTEM DETAILS

The pre-existing pump station was suitable for supplying the pivots. The system comprises three Southern Cross motor pumps run on VSD control and can run pivots and fixed big guns at the same time.

The details of the new system are as follows:

• Application rate: 8 mm per pass, usually overnight

• Sprinklers: Nelson S3000 and SR100 boosted end gun

• Panel: Precision point control (3)

• Power supply: Isuzu diesel engines with Macquarie auto start panel

• Remote telemetry: AgSense Precision link system (pivots can be controlled from AgSense app on the phone or AgSense website)

• Pivot lengths: 255 m, 245 m, 350 m and 180 m

The areas around the pivot circle still use the original fixed sprinkler system and Nelson big guns are used to water other areas.

ADVANTAGES OF THE NEW SYSTEM

While the previous system was fully automated, the control system could be unreliable, so, at times, Joe would have to manually turn on the stations. This is no longer the case and Joe appreciates being able to see the location of the pivot and remote control using the app.

Joe also finds it useful to be able to irrigate late in the day and to know the paddock will be irrigated. He no longer has to rely on sprinkler blocks changing – and hopefully operating. If the pivot shuts down, the system will alert him, enabling him to investigate and not miss a watering.

However, the real win in terms of labour savings for Joe comes from the reduction in ongoing maintenance that was needed for the fixed sprinkler system, which regularly required repairs due to incidents such as mower damage to risers.

CENTRE PIVOT AND LATERAL MOVE

Pivot irrigation for large-scale lettuce farm

In 2021, Don Ruggiero of Swanport Harvest began to farm a new property near Langhorne Creek on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia. Winds off nearby Lake Alexandrina reduce the summer heat and help prevent winter frosts, making this one of the few regions in Australia where lettuce can be grown all year round.

Swanport Harvest is South Australia’s largest grower of lettuce and broccoli, and the quality of their crops is vital. The Langhorne Creek property grows iceberg lettuce for Swanport Harvest’s premium StayCrisp brand.

PIVOT IRRIGATION UNUSUAL FOR SALAD CROPS

It’s unusual for salad crops to be watered with pivot irrigators, as they’re rarely grown on the large scale where pivot irrigators excel. However, when Don bought the property there were already two pivot irrigators on the land. At 125 ha, the property was large enough for Don to consider refurbishing the existing irrigators and giving pivot irrigation a go. Irrigation expert Phil Caldecott from AusRain Irrigation recommended refitting the pivots with Nelson Irrigation sprinklers.

GENTLE DROPLETS FOR SALAD LEAVES

Over the next 18 months, Don worked with AusRain and Nelson Australia to refit his existing pivot irrigators and install five more pivots. Altogether, seven pivots and around 800 sprinklers were installed.

Sprinklers are spaced along each pivot’s 500 m length for even coverage and even growth. O3030 Orbitor sprinklers are fitted with purple plates for a gentle droplet that soaks the tender salad leaves softly and thoroughly without causing damage or being affected by the prevailing wind.

The 3NV nozzle is a new dial-nozzle that allows growers to flush the nozzle, flush the line, and shut off sprinklers, all without removing the nozzle. The growers can turn off individual sprinklers to prevent overwatering, and easily clear blocked sprinklers, making the irrigation system easier to install and maintain. The system also has Nelson control valves on pivot mainlines to turn pivots on and off, and a pressure drop kit makes it easy to keep an eye on system pressure.

BETTER UNIFORMITY, BETTER COVERAGE, AND MORE EFFICIENT USE OF WATER

Don’s pleased with his new pivots, saying: “We’re getting better uniformity and coverage, and there’s a lot better efficiency, we’re using 20 to 25 per cent less water and less fertiliser. Also, we can water when it’s windy without seeing a big difference to distribution.”

Don says that the pivots work better in the windy conditions compared with the permanent sprinklers on his other property.

Pivot irrigation set up has been a bit of a learning curve for Don. He’s experimented with different flow rates, and now runs two pivots simultaneously on a lower flow rate.

Don explains: “It’s pretty innovative growing lettuce on this scale using pivot irrigation. For pivots you’ve got to have volume. We’ve got that because we’re one of the biggest lettuce growers in Australia and we’re growing 100 per cent iceberg lettuce on this property. We’ve been doing this successfully for 45 years, so people do notice what we do, and I wouldn’t be surprised if our results lead other salad growers to try pivot irrigation too.”

THE PROJECT AT A GLANCE

Size: 125 ha

Products: O3030 Orbitor sprinkler with purple plate, 3NV nozzle, 11395 in-line slim weight, 10 psi Uni-Flo regulators, plastic goose necks, drop hose and clamps, pressure drop kit

Temperature Range: 6-28º C

Elevation: 22 m above sea level

Established: 2021

Acknowledgment. Thanks to Nelson Australia for providing this article, which was originally published on the Nelson Australia website

C O U R S E S F O R 2 0 2 3 A R E N O W L I V E

W h e t h e r y o u ' r e j u s t e n t e r i n g t h e i n d u s t r y , o r b u i l d i n g o n y o u r c u r r e n t s k i l l s a s a n i r r i g a t i o n p r o f e s s i o n a l , w e c a n c r e a t e n e w p o s s i b i l i t i e s a n d h e l p s h a p e y o u r f u t u r e i n t h i s e v e r - g r o w i n g i n d u s t r y .

1 2 + c a r e e r p a t h w a y s t r a i n i n g n a t i o n w i d e

C e r t i f i c a t i o n i s a s e r i e s o f i n d u s t r y - d r i v e n p r o g r a m s d i r e c t l y l i n k e d t o a c c r e d i t e d V o c a t i o n a l E d u c a t i o n p r o g r a m s t o g i v e a s s u r a n c e t o o u r c u s t o m e r s t h a t i r r i g a t i o n p r o f e s s i o n a l s k n o w w h a t t h e y a r e d o i n g a n d h a v e c o m m i t t e d t o c o n t i n u i n g p r o f e s s i o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t .

C e r t i f i c a t e I V i n I r r i g a t i o n M a n a g e m e n t

THE BIG ISSUE

THE MURRAY-DARLING BASIN SHOWS WHY THE ‘SOCIAL

COST OF WATER’ CONCEPT WON’T WORK

SNAPSHOT

• One of the ideas that surfaced at the United Nations Water Conference in March was a ‘global social cost of water’.

• This concept proposes valuing all types of water, including water vapour in the atmosphere that later falls as rain. This means attempting to put a dollar value on moisture flowing across borders, and implicitly creating world water markets.

• This article from The Conversation, written by water economists, Sarah Ann Wheeler and Claudia Ringler, argues that the concept is fundamentally flawed.

• The social value of water is incredibly difficult to measure, even within one area such as the Murray Darling Basin, let alone trying to enforce a global water market.

• The best way to address the water crisis might be to focus on local management and institutions, plan carefully and implement a wide range of policies.

Access to safe, clean water is a basic human right, but water scarcity and barriers to access can cause conflict within and between countries.

Fights over water can be expected to intensify as the world warms, evaporation increases, and rainfall becomes less predictable. So we’ll need to work even harder to resolve disputes and share this precious resource.

Earlier this year, for the first time in almost half a century, the United Nations held a conference squarely focused on water. Thousands of water experts gathered in New York for three days in March, to chart a way forward.

We were among the delegates. Since then, we have discussed and debated ideas that surfaced at this international meeting. Some were worthwhile, but others were wrong. In particular, we challenge the concept of a global ‘social cost of water’.

What is a global social cost of water?

One of the big ideas that came up at the conference was the need for a ‘new economics of water as a common good’, which includes the ‘social cost of water’.

Elaborating on his idea in the journal Nature, Swedish scientist Johan Rockström and colleagues wrote:

[Researchers] must assess the ‘social cost of water’, akin to the ‘social cost of carbon’, which considers the costs to society of loss and damage caused by water extremes and not meeting the basic provision of water for human needs.

The social cost of carbon is an estimate, in dollars, of the economic damages that would result from emitting one additional tonne of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It’s a decision-making tool used by governments, especially in the United States, for cost-benefit analysis of climate policy.

The social cost of water concept proposes valuing all types of water, including water vapour in the atmosphere that later falls as rain. This means attempting to put a dollar value on moisture flowing across borders, and implicitly creating world water markets. According to this logic, if most of Nigeria’s rain comes from forests in central Africa, then Nigeria should be prepared to pay central African nations to maintain the source of this moisture generation.

But we believe the concept of a global social cost of water is fundamentally flawed, as we explained in our correspondence in Nature in May, alongside others who also questioned its logic and purpose. Further correspondence in June also described calls to govern water on a global scale as ‘unrealistic’ and distracting from sustainable and equitable access.

It’s unclear how a global social cost of water would work in practice. Writing as economists who have studied local water markets for decades, we see many problems with the concept, such as:

• how water moisture volumes would be estimated reliably and regularly

• how a dollar value could be reliably associated with water moisture flows across borders

• how payments would be enforced between countries, and by what institutions

• whether the money paid between countries would actually improve water security

• what would happen when moisture flows across borders lead to floods with loss of human lives – would the downwind country receive compensation for water disasters as well as droughts?

THE BIG ISSUE

Australia has the most sophisticated water markets in the world, in the Murray-Darling Basin. But even here there are considerable differences in how markets work. Water values and costs are also very different.

Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin: a case in point

The value of water in the Basin consists of benefits and costs. Some benefits include:

• direct use of water to grow crops or irrigate pasture

• recreational use such as boating and water sports

• indirect use including the benefits to health and wellbeing from living alongside a natural water body

• future use values, knowing there is sufficient water to sustain healthy ecosystems and rivers in years to come

• future generational, existence and cultural values such as non-use values associated with the ancient Brewarrina fish traps.

Costs include harm to mental health associated with a lack of water during drought. At the other extreme, there’s the cost of too much water causing floods, property damage and loss of life, or salinity harming viticulture in the Riverland. This shows the social value of water is incredibly difficult to measure even within one area such as the Basin, let alone trying to enforce a global water market.

What should instead happen next?

We think the best way to address the water crisis is to focus on local management and institutions, plan carefully and implement a wide range of policies. These include:

• using economic methods and tools to assess and implement local water policies where feasible

• removing subsidies that incentivise water exploitation

• establishing sustainable extraction limits

• strengthening water institutions to allow measurement, monitoring and enforcement of water use

• promoting water justice and sharing. This is a big task. Misdirection down blind alleys is a distraction that the world cannot afford.

Source. This article, originally published in The Conversation, is reprinted here under a CC BY-ND 4.0 licence

GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION HAS ALTERED THE EARTH’S AXIS

A recent study has found that in the 17 years between 1993 and 2010, humans shifted such a large amount of groundwater that it caused the Earth to tilt nearly 80 cm east.

The Earth’s rotational pole is the point around which the planet rotates. It moves during a process called polar motion, which is when the position of the Earth’s rotational pole varies relative to the crust. The distribution of water on the planet affects how mass is distributed. Like adding a tiny bit of weight to a spinning top, the Earth spins a little differently as water is moved around.

“Earth’s rotational pole actually changes a lot,” said KiWeon Seo, a geophysicist at Seoul National University who led the study. “Our study shows that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater actually has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole.”

The researchers modelled the observed changes in the drift of Earth’s rotational pole and the movement of water –

first, with only ice sheets and glaciers considered, and then adding in different scenarios of groundwater redistribution. The model only matched the observed polar drift once the researchers included 2,150 gigatons of groundwater redistribution. Without it, the model was off by 78.5 cm. The location of the groundwater matters for how much it could change polar drift; redistributing water from the midlatitudes has a larger impact on the rotational pole. During the study period, the most water was redistributed in western North America and northwestern India, both at midlatitudes.

Countries’ attempts to slow groundwater depletion rates, especially in those sensitive regions, could theoretically alter the change in drift, but only if such conservation approaches are sustained for decades, Seo said.

One Basin CRC explores brackish groundwater as an alternative water source

A new project from the One Basin CRC seeks to provide insights into the diversification of irrigated water sources via brackish groundwater, including socio-enviro-economic implications.

The project is one of the first cabs off the ranks for the One Basin CRC and is a partnership within the CRC between desalination and industrial water treatment company Osmoflo, Flinders University, the University of Adelaide and One Basin’s Loxton research hub.

The project aims to demonstrate the ability to use desalinated water for agriculture, the effectiveness of proposed processes, the potential for upscaling, and the opportunity to provide direct benefit to the local area.

Over the next 12 months, the project will identify a demonstration desalination site, develop an online analytical tool for evaluating desalination costs and report on the future outlook across the basin.

Desalinated water an underutilised resource

According to project lead researcher, University of Adelaide’s Dr Michael Leonard, brackish groundwater is a massively underutilised resource within the Basin.

“The opportunity to add brackish groundwater to the mix of water sources is huge for irrigators. It can support agricultural resilience in times of drought, while improving crop productivity, but uptake is patchy to say the least.

“Information about desalination uptake in the Murray–Darling Basin in the literature is sparse, although it’s successfully used elsewhere in Australia and the world,” says Dr Leonard.

“With areas of high salinity and high water prices, particularly in the lower parts of the Basin, we think there is great value in demonstrating the possibilities.”

Osmoflo's senior manager of innovation, research and development, and deputy lead of this project, Julien Anese, points out that the cost of desalinated water is decreasing with innovative technologies.

"With this project, we can not only increase water security by producing water for agricultural purposes, but we can do it with low recovery and low energy costs,” Julien noted.

Demonstration sites identified

The project has kicked off with an exploration of South Australia’s Riverland to find an operational demonstration site for sustainable desalination of brackish groundwater for

agricultural use that will promote interest in brackish water utilisation across the Murray–Darling Basin.

One Basin’s Loxton Research Hub lead, Kym Walton, says, “We’ve identified six sites throughout the Riverland that could be used for demonstration of the technology, and a number of irrigators are excited about the possibility of getting involved.”

A key factor for identifying a site is the management of brine. A range of options are being considered, including on-site evaporation basins, use of salt interception scheme disposal basins and reinjection to an aquifer having high salinity. Each approach involves trade-offs: on-site evaporation basins have installation and monitoring costs, salt interception schemes require assessment of governance and environmental impact on regional disposal basins and reinjection requires consideration of hydrogeological characteristics

Decision tool for irrigators

According to Dr Leonard, another issue is that, even for irrigators who understand the potential of brackish groundwater, there’s no easy way for them to explore whether investing in desalination is right for them.

“This is why we intend to build a decision tool, similar to those that exist for household solar. We are hopeful that this tool could prove really valuable for irrigators throughout the Basin.”

In keeping with the One Basin CRC’s focus on collaboration, the project team has consulted with representatives from wineries in Langhorne Creek, South Australian irrigation trusts, the Almond Centre of Excellence, a variety of growers in the Loxton region, SA Water operations managers, the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board and SARDI researchers.

THE ONE BASIN CRC

The One Basin Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), which commenced in mid-2022, is a national consortium of 85 partners across the agriculture, environment, water and technology sectors in the Murray–Darling Basin, including industry, business, government, research and not-forprofit organisations.

It is funded with $156m over 10 years – by the Australian Government’s the Australia Government via the Department of Industry, Science and Resources AusIndustry CRC program, and its 85 partners – making it the largest R&D partnership that has ever existed in the Murray–Darling Basin.

Whenreliability and performance counts.

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Goulds Water Technology’s GIS/GISO series back pullout, foot mounted centrifugal pump is designed in accordance with ISO 2858.

Information. For more information or to be added to the monthly project update mailing list, email michael.leonard@ adelaide.edu.au

Contact us today to see how the Goulds GISO/ISO pump range can assist with your water requirements.

INNOVATION IN IRRIGATION

3D printing in the irrigation industry

SNAPSHOT

• 3D printing is being increasingly used in many industries and some experts predict that it is on the verge of revolutionising manufacturing processes.

• Within the irrigation industry, manufacturers largely use 3D printing to create prototypes of products during the design phase and to create tooling components for manufacturing.

• 3D printing is particularly useful for quickly creating lowcost prototypes, which can accelerate the design process; jigs and fixtures; and moulds, particularly for components with intricate detail and complex geometry.

• These processes are not typically used to create end-use products in the irrigation industry, and currently have limited applications owing to size constraints, economics, and material quality. However, manufacturers are keeping an eye on this evolving technology, and some expect it to play a bigger role in manufacturing processes in the future.

Michael Summers, design engineer at Toro Australia, which produces a wide range of irrigation equipment, says that the company’s engineering department primarily uses 3D printing to accelerate product development.

“We use our in-house 3D printers to rapidly prototype new product concepts. The ability to design, print and test an irrigation product concept or improvement in a matter of hours, instead of days or weeks waiting for (more costly) tooling-based prototypes is a huge benefit,” Michael explains.

Experts predict that 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is about to revolutionise the way products are designed, made, and distributed to end-users. The technology has been used for some years in medicine, electronics, art and the aerospace industry. It’s also finding applications in construction, with buildings that would take months or years to complete using traditional methods, being built in days – and at a lower cost.

How is this technology changing the way things are done in the irrigation industry? Irrigation Australia Journal spoke to experts in the manufacturing sector to find out.

WHAT IS 3D PRINTING?

3D printing is a process that creates three-dimensional objects by building them layer by layer using a digital model or design. It is a rapid prototyping and production method that allows for the creation of complex geometries and customised designs. The term ‘3D printing’ does not describe a single process but encompasses many processes that exist for a range of polymers, ceramics and metals.

Currently, the main uses of 3D printing by manufacturers of irrigation equipment are for creating prototypes in the product design phase and tooling components for use during manufacturing.

PROTOTYPING

3D prototypes enable manufacturers of pumps, pipes and fittings to accelerate the design process at a relatively low cost.

Music, innovation manager, Vinidex.

Pipes and fittings. Australian pipe systems manufacturer Vinidex has been using 3D printing as a prototyping tool for several years in the product design and development process for its pipe systems projects.

“The inherent design and manufacturing flexibility [of 3D printing technologies] will lead to truly innovative and previously ‘impossible’ products and solutions becoming a reality.”

Dragan

Dragan Music, innovation manager from Vinidex, explains that 3D printing allows the design team to create fullsized, functional prototypes of components such as pipes and fitting systems, which can be tested under realistic conditions. This process helps the designers to identify design flaws or areas for improvement before moving forward with full-scale production.

“Prototyping plays a crucial role in conducting real-life product testing,” Dragan says.

“Traditional manufacturing methods can deliver real-life prototypes, but producing multiple iterations can be timeconsuming and expensive. 3D printing allows us to create physical representations of our product designs, enabling us to assess their functionality and make modifications efficiently at low cost.”

An example is the new Vinidex PVC DWV Aerator prototypes. This prototype was printed at full size, in a clear material, to enable the design team to install it into a real plumbing system, watch the water flow and validate the design's performance before committing to a large investment in product tooling. Being 3D printed in clear material, the engineers could witness the water flowing inside the prototype, providing valuable insights into how the water behaved and what could be done to improve the performance.

Sterling Pumps also uses 3D printing when developing new production pumps. For example, the design team might print an impeller directly from the 3D design model to test prior to committing to tooling production.

Precision irrigation equipment. 3D printing can offer a low-cost way of evaluating ergonomics and aesthetics of precision irrigation components, such as micro-irrigation emitters. Adelaide-based manufacturer Antelco has been using it for this purpose for more than 20 years.

However, it is less useful for functional validation for these components, according to Rob Sigston, Antelco’s research and development manager.

“Although the resolution of 3D prints has increased over the years, it is still not possible to exactly mimic a moulded plastic micro-irrigation emitter,” Rob explains.

“Due to the layering of the build process, micro steps remain on curved faces, and that changes the flow characteristics of water when compared to smooth glossy moulded plastic. Even five- micron resolution makes a difference.

“As such, full functional product evaluation still requires moulded prototypes -- for example, when validating flow rates of drippers of distribution patterns of spray emitters.”

TOOLING COMPONENTS

Another way that irrigation equipment manufacturers are using 3D printing is to create tooling components such as moulds, jigs and fixtures.

Moulds. 3D-printing can be used to create moulds for metal or plastic components with intricate designs or complex geometries.

Anton from Sterling Pumps explains that once a successful a 3D prototype is developed, it can be used to create an investment cast tooling for production. Investment casting is a process used to produce high-precision and complex metal parts with intricate shapes.

“Sterling Pumps uses 3D print pattern and tooling components so that complex shapes are exactly as the engineer intended in the design model,” Anton says.

“These printed components will form part of the tooling used to make a component. We do 3D printing of prototype components for our irrigation submersible pumps and vertical turbine pumps, and this then transfers to investment cast tooling for production.”

Pumps. Some pump manufacturers have also embraced 3D printing. Anton Merry, managing director of Sterling Pumps says the company has been using it for about ten years.

“We use 3D printing of prototype components in our irrigation submersible pumps and vertical turbine pumps. We use it mainly when developing very large pumps where a model test is required prior to production of the pump,” Anton says.

3D printing processes also open novel opportunities for creating plastic equipment. A new product developed by Vinidex requires particularly complex plastic-injection moulds. Vinidex will use 3D printing to create a metal core for the moulds.

Dragan explains, “The complex geometry within these tooling ‘cores’ could not be produced using traditional manufacturing techniques and will be 3D printed in metal instead.”

INNOVATION IN IRRIGATION

Jigs and fixtures. Manufacturers have also found that they can solve problems in production by designing and printing jigs or fixtures as required.

Antelco uses 3D printing to produce jigs and fixtures quickly, and at a relatively low cost, for manual and automated assembly machinery.

Rob notes, “Increasing complexity of component design has little effect on cost, in contrast to machined metal. Component design is also not limited by machinery limitations, so complex curves and shapes are just as easy to manufacture as flat faces. Speed of manufacture is an also advantage if critical machinery is out of service due to a component failure.”

Jigs and fixtures can also be 3D printed for use in quality control. Toro designs and prints jigs and fixtures for its quality department to increase the accuracy of quality checks, which ensure consistency in the quality of products.

LIMITATIONS OF 3D PRINTING

At this stage, within the irrigation industry, 3D printing is typically used for prototyping and tooling but not to create end-user products. And while 3D printing offers many benefits, it is important to acknowledge its limitations.

One limitation, according to Dragan from Vinidex, is size constraints. “The physical build volume of typical 3D printers can restrict the size of the objects that can be printed in one piece. However, these technologies are continuing to evolve, and very large-scale prototypes of around a cubic metre, can now be made in specialised machines.”

For different reasons, 3D printing also has limitations for small, precision equipment.

“Currently due to the small size and precise nature of our micro emitter type products, significant post processing of cavity faces of 3D prints is required, and for us, a cost benefit is not yet evident in this area,” Rob from Antelco explains.

Another issue, according to Dragan, is that while the available materials are useful in proving a design's performance and functionality during development, they are not as durable as traditional production materials such as injection moulded PVC [polyvinyl chloride] or ABS [acrylonitrile butadiene styrene], for example.

Additionally, the speed of 3D printing does not match the production rates of traditional manufacturing methods for large-scale production.

Michael from Toro notes, “3D printing is currently not an appropriate solution for high volume production runs. In most cases, injection moulding is still a much faster, more efficient and a more cost-effective solution.”

PROCESSES EVOLVING

Rapid prototyping technologies such as 3D printing and other technologies are evolving and irrigation equipment manufacturers are expecting them to play a bigger role in their processes in the future, particularly for low-volume or custom runs.

“As the technology develops and the current limitations are overcome, 3D printing technology will become increasingly integrated into traditional manufacturing processes.

“Not only do these technologies accelerate the development of new products, but their inherent design and manufacturing flexibility will lead to truly innovative and previously ‘impossible’ products and solutions becoming a reality,” Dragan says.

Australia’s largest stormwater harvesting scheme: Combining stormwater and wastewater for cooler, greener urban spaces

SNAPSHOT

• Sydney Water recently received a Stormwater Australia National Award for the Mamre Road scheme, Australia’s largest stormwater harvesting project.

• The project combines recycled water in an innovative third pipeline system to ensure a reliable source of irrigation water, even in dry years, and reduce runoff into waterways.

• This reliable source of non-potable water will enable the expansion of urban green spaces to make the precinct cooler and more liveable for the future community.

• The strategy demonstrates that by integrating water systems and assets, councils can maximise the value of stormwater water while reducing water infrastructure costs.

Sydney Water is planning Australia’s largest stormwater harvesting scheme to be developed in Aerotropolis, in Sydney’s western suburbs. It will combine stormwater and treated wastewater to provide a reliable irrigation supply for green urban spaces, even in the driest of years, with no reliance on potable water.

Aerotropolis is an urban development project centred around the airport in the western suburbs of Sydney. Sydney Water is the trunk drainage authority for stormwater in the area, responsible for delivering, managing and maintaining the stormwater network along with the drinking water, wastewater and recycled water networks.

The complexity and scale of this unique project earned the organisation an award for Excellence in Strategic or Master Planning in the Stormwater Australia National Awards earlier this year.

Here we describe the unique aspects of the scheme and how it will support irrigation of public spaces for a cooler, greener city.

TWO PROBLEMS, ONE SOLUTION

The area is currently largely agricultural, but the planned development will see an increase in runoff into the local creeks that ultimately flow into the Hawkesbury River. Unless properly managed, this runoff would cause significant and irreversible damage to the waterways.

Greg Ingleton, who is part of the circular economy division of Sydney Water says, “We saw that the two big problems facing development of the Aerotropolis – the need to protect waterways and the need to provide water for greening and cooling – as having the same solution: integrated water cycle management.”

INNOVATION IN IRRIGATION

AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST STORMWATER HARVESTING SCHEME

Sydney Water’s integrated approach to water management involves combining stormwater and recycled wastewater to reduce reliance on potable water while minimising runoff into waterways.

The stormwater will flow into natural water channels and wetlands instead of relying on buried concrete pipes or drains. From here, the water will be collected in wetlands and basins, largely on undevelopable land, where it will be treated before being used for irrigating parks and flushing toilets.

This approach will allow for healthier waterways, an irrigation water supply that is independent of climate or rainfall, and will ensure more land is available for development that otherwise would have housed water infrastructure.

The infrastructure will be delivered gradually over the next 10 to 20 years. The 850 ha Mamre Road precinct is the first of the Aerotropolis’s 12 key precincts to have the integrated water management infrastructure implemented. Planning is well underway, with Sydney Water and other government agencies working closely with industry to develop the most efficient and cost-effective system.

COMBINING STORMWATER AND WASTEWATER FOR A RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY

An innovative aspect of the planning for the Mamre Road precinct is a third pipe, non-potable water scheme that combines treated stormwater and recycled (waste)water for delivery across the industrial precinct.

When rainfall is insufficient, recycled water will be used as a back-up water supply to maintain green infrastructure. Conversely, during wet years, excess recycled water will be treated and discharged in the Hawkesbury Nepean River.

Greg explains, “It is clear from the last couple of summers in Sydney that irrigation just wasn’t needed. Likewise, we know that over the next few years this is likely to swing the other way.

“The supply of non-potable water to the third pipe system, will mostly be from harvested stormwater in normal to wet years. In these years the excess recycled water will be highly treated before being discharged to the Hawkesbury Nepean River in line with legislative requirements.

“In drier years, when minimal stormwater is available, the recycled water will provide most of the water in the third pipe system. This is the beauty of the integrated water plan; it is essentially a climate-independent supply – it uses stormwater when available, but it has the backing of the recycled water, which is always available.”

SUPPORTING MORE PARKS, TREES AND GARDENS

Greg says the scheme will support the expansion of irrigated green space in the Aerotropolis, contributing to a cooler, greener city. This includes both public open spaces, some of which are operated by the council and some by Sydney Water, and private open spaces such as residential backyards and landscaping around commercial buildings.

It will also reduce the volume of water being discharged into the river. “More irrigated open space will help use more of the integrated water, as there will be excess water available in most years, with the exception of drier years,” Greg explained.

IRRIGATION PLANNING

It is still early days in the project, but Sydney Water, councils and other stakeholders are already looking ahead to the irrigation planning.

“We are looking at a variety of irrigation techniques, depending on the open space, vegetation type and outcome to be achieved,” says Greg.

“Some areas of open space will require ample water for cooling benefits. It is likely that these will be irrigated from above-ground sprinkler or pop-up sprinkler irrigation systems. Landscaped areas will mostly rely on drip systems.”

“We are also working with the responsible councils to ensure street trees are present, again to help with the cooling and greening, and to slow down the flow of stormwater during rain events. It is likely that some street trees will only have passive irrigation, while others, on main thoroughfares for instance, may have more active irrigation systems.”

IRRIGATION TRIALS UNDERWAY

Sydney Water is also investigating the best ways of maintaining soil quality while using water efficiently.

“We know that there is a concern about mobilising salts through too much irrigation. These areas do have some sodic

soils in the lower horizons of the soil profile. It is important that the volume of water applied is equal to vegetation and evaporation demands only,” Greg says.

“We are trialling different techniques at present, with several transects of deep soil moisture probes already installed and monitoring. We are also trialling smart irrigation software and hardware in some council parks across Sydney, with the view that this same approach could be used in public open space in the Aerotropolis.

“It may even be possible to use the scheduling from these smart irrigation sites to inform the residents and business owners on when to water if they are in nearby suburbs and have similar soil types. It’s early days but these are the types of approaches we are exploring.”

WIDESPREAD SUPPORT

Crucially, Greg says, the project has significant support from the local community. “There is a real desire to be innovative in these precincts, and getting the most out of our water is critical to ensure we can enhance liveability and productivity in the Aerotropolis.”

The project serves as a template for integrated water cycle management across the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and even further afield. Its projected benefits have prompted the NSW Government to consider this as a landmark planning project, set to transform planning through integrated water systems.

The strategy demonstrates that by integrating water systems and assets, councils can maximise the value of stormwater water while reducing water infrastructure costs and improving the liveability of an urban area for the future community.

Acknowledgment. Thanks to Sydney Water for providing information for this article.

CONFERENCE

GET SET FOR NEXT YEAR’S BIG EVENT!

Planning is well underway for the Irrigation Australia National Conference and Exhibition together with the 75th IEC Meeting and 9th Asian Regional ICID Conference to be held at Sydney’s International Convention Centre in September 2024.

On behalf of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage and Irrigation Australia, we extend a warm invitation to all to participate in the 75th IEC Meeting and 9th Asian Regional ICID Conference, and Irrigation Australia National Conference and Exhibition.

Following the success of Adelaide 2022, the Australian irrigation industry is again delighted to have the opportunity

to host this event. This is our chance to showcase the irrigated agricultural industry at the biggest irrigation event in the Southern Hemisphere.

Irrigation for food security and green urban spaces in a changing climate

Australia is the driest continent on earth, and water use efficiency is a top priority as we strive to achieve several key objectives. It forms a crucial part of our strategies to expand domestic food production, uphold our reputation as an exporter of high-quality foods to a growing global population, and sustainably manage recreational spaces to support the health and wellbeing of our communities.

With this in mind, the theme for this event is ‘Irrigation’s role in delivering economically viable food security and sustainable urban green spaces in an increasingly unpredictable climate’.

The sub-themes will be:

• Governance – identifying and addressing structural and policy impediments to the adoption of better irrigation practices.

• Investment – fit-for-purpose and cost-effective technologies that support end users to implement sustainable irrigation practices (Environmental, Social, Governance).

• Capacity development – ensuring that end users can access and adapt knowledge and systems to support sustainable irrigation practices.

Planning underway

At the time of writing, our esteemed organising committee and dedicated volunteers are actively working on setting up our lodgement portal for papers. Additionally, we are planning a range of study tours, an innovative trade exhibition with exciting new opportunities for interaction and demonstrations, and some fantastic social events and networking opportunities.

Interested exhibitors are welcome to register with our event organisers here

Check out the website or email info@irrigation.org.au if you’d like to be added to a distribution list to receive conference updates.

What’s different about this event?

The 2024 event will have some important differences from last year’s event in Adelaide. We are broadening our focus and encouraging speakers from across our member base and industry supply chain. We’re also going beyond traditional conference presentations to include workshops, poster presentations, field trips and other exciting and interesting opportunities to learn and network. One of these will be a national irrigation award program leading up to the gala dinner. Keep an eye out for our calls for volunteers to help review abstracts and plan and participate in these activities.

The exhibition

We’re in the process of planning the logistics of the exhibition. Here are a few key points:

• There is plenty of space at the event in Sydney, and we will be using it.

• We’re addressing feedback around catering: we will have better options for exhibitors, and delegates will eat in the exhibition area for the duration of the exhibition.

• We’ll ensure more time for exhibitors to bump-in.

• There will be an interactive zone with a stage and seating area. This will be a place for exhibitors (and Irrigation Australia) to have demonstrations and a bit of fun.

• A networking lounge will be in the centre of the exhibition space, with informal seating to allow delegates to interact and meet, and to encourage them to stay within the exhibition space during the breaks.

• A walk-through poster area will be within the exhibition space, along with seating/ theatrette to accommodate short poster presentations.

• We’ll be running active campaigns to attract a range of groups of delegates perceived as being underrepresented in past events.

New format likely for future events

The costs of these events at major function facilities are rapidly growing and we hope members and stakeholders take advantage of this significant undertaking, as it could be the last irrigation event of this scale and format for some time.

While we are at the very early stages of planning, our evolving plan for 2025 onwards looks different. We envisage smaller scale, lower cost, possibly regional events that are held annually or more often to support our drive for improved networking and knowledge exchange.

A collaborative effort

We are proud to be hosting this event and working with ICID to provide the chance to mix with international guests, enjoy diverse experiences and knowledge, and showcase the Australian irrigation sector.

IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA NEWS

SNAPSHOT

• Jeff Dean joins the Irrigation Australia training team.

• Life Member recognised in King’s birthday Honours.

• Irrigation Australia CEO Dave Cameron attends the first One Basin CRC in-person collaborative event.

• Tracy Martin provides an update on what’s going on in the regions.

JEFF DEAN JOINS THE TRAINING TEAM

Jeff Dean is a new staff member at Irrigation Australia. He brings his love of learning to the team as a trainee trainer and assessor, assisting the full-time trainers and to deliver the curriculum.

Jeff has a long history in the irrigation sector, having worked for the last 17 years in a family-owned retail and design shop.

“From the age of 18, I’ve done everything from pushing a broom to counter sales and design, and for the last eight years, the full running of the store,” Jeff says. “I have done domestic and commercial design work for both irrigation and pumping systems.

“As part of a small business, I was also responsible for training the team in the fundamentals of both irrigation and pumping. My time in this position led me to acutely understand the need for accessible, consistent and quality training.”

Jeff loves the learning aspect of his new role. “I am excited about being at the forefront of training and having a hand in the development of new material and presentations to help the next generation of irrigation professionals keep up with the modern world,” he says.

Outside of work, Jeff’s main passion is karate. “I have been training for five years and am currently a brown belt with eyes set on my black in three or four years.

“I compete as often as I can and was able to take out the state level tournament for my belt and age bracket last year. I have a particular interest in the respect and discipline side of karate and have started the training to be able to teach a class of my own.

“Other than that, I am the household chef, a casual PC gamer and definitely a cat person (we currently own three).”

Welcome, Jeff!

ONE BASIN CRC’S FIRST IN-PERSON COLLABORATION EVENT

Dave Cameron, the CEO of Irrigation Australia, dedicated a few days to participate in the One Basin Cooperative Research Centre’s first major in-person collaboration event in Albury in early August.

Irrigation Australia is an affiliate partner to the CRC, with the aim of building its engagement with applied research and development. Additionally, as an RTO, the organisation aims to position itself to deliver outputs from the CRC through future training courses.

“It’s great to see major investments in agricultural research, which we know has a great return on investment, and the CRC is well-placed to ensure evidence-based science supports future decisions on the Basin,” Dave said.

Plenty of information is available online about the proposed program of work, but according to Dave, the CRC’s broad goals for the future of the Basin are captured very effectively by: ‘Productive, Resilient, Sustainable’.

Dave says that one year in, the CRC is still progressing with its planning, and the CRC’s approach to this formative stage is innovative.

“They’ve managed to get a series of quick-start projects going for early runs on the ground. It is particularly refreshing to see strong goals around not reinventing the wheel –putting a big effort into reviewing what’s already out there and looking to address past impediments to adoption,” Dave noted.

Irrigation Australia has a strong interest in delivering content developed through the CRC to support best practice, building linkages to universities, and giving members the chance to tap into opportunities for their businesses. This includes the Education and Training Program (industry-linked research and vocational training), the Capturing Value from Digital Technologies to Support the Irrigated Agriculture Sector Focus Area Challenge as well as other developing programs.

The CRC boasts a $50M federal government grant over 10 years, and 85 partners with significantly more cash and in-kind contributed to the venture from those partners. The CRC program requires a strong focus on education and training as well as research adoption, and while Irrigation Australia’s contribution to the collaboration is relatively small, the industry representation is critical to the success of these ventures. You can read about one of the CRC’s first projects, which focuses on exploring brackish groundwater as an alternative irrigation water source, on page 24 of this issue.

LIFE MEMBER JASPER ‘DAN’ NORTON RECOGNISED IN KING’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS

Irrigation Australia Life

Member Jasper Daniel Norton – ‘Dan’ to those who know him - has received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to agriculture and to the community.

Dan, who is 81 and retired, started off in agriculture as a third-generation dairy farmer in Benger in the South West of Western Australia. His involvement in irrigation industry groups began in 1974, when he joined the state government and South West irrigation advisory, steering and management committees. He served as chair of South West Irrigation Management Co-operative, which became Harvey Water, from 1996 to 2013.

During this time, Dan was a passionate advocate for irrigators in WA. He played a key role in establishing four irrigation entities: the Blackwood and Ferguson group, the Harvey, Colle and Waroona group, the Gascoyne irrigation cooperative and the Ord irrigation cooperative.

Dan became the Western Australian representative on the Australian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (ANCID) in 1996, where he served as vice-chair from 2001 to 2005 and was made a life member in 2006.

Dan believes the formation of Irrigation Australia in 2007 through the merger of ANCID and the Irrigation Association of Australia (IAA) was a pivotal milestone in Australia’s irrigation industry. This event not only gave industry members a unified voice but also raised the bar for professionalism in irrigation. “The training that IAL is implementing is giving irrigation a very professional profile and is to be applauded,” Dan told Irrigation Australia Journal.

As an industry veteran, Dan has seen many changes in agriculture and irrigation over the years and anticipates more to come. “There is a great future for irrigation, but it will be very different to what we inherited from our forebears – open channels and water controllers on motorbikes picking up water applications out of a box on a post at various locations.”

Dan says he is honoured to receive the award, and he is quick to point out the collaborative nature of the work he has been a part of. “During my time, I worked with some very dedicated people who had one goal: to make life better. For me, working with them was an honour and a privilege.

“I believe my award reflects the good work the committees achieved, and I was particularly pleased that I and others involved have been recognised.”

JOIN THE IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA BOARD!

Would you like to contribute to the growth and development of our organisation?

Nominations close on 8 September, so don’t delay.

We are seeking people who understand the irrigation industry sector, who have business management experience and financial acumen, and who are willing and able to do more and to adapt during uncertain times.

Here are the key details:

• There are five positions available this election.

• At the end of the nomination period, our team will collate the nominations and collect the necessary profile documents from the candidates.

• If we receive more nominations than available slots, we have a fair and transparent process in place. All profile documents will be made available, and we will initiate a voting process to select the board directors.

• The voting procedure may change for this year – we are investigating an online system to make voting easier.

Your participation in the Irrigation Australia Board Director elections is essential for shaping the future of our organisation. We encourage you to engage actively and nominate individuals who can bring fresh perspectives and expertise to our board.

IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA NEWS

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

What’s going on in the regions and with membership by Tracy Martin, Irrigation Australia's National Membership and Regions Manager.

theme was ‘Achieving best practice irrigation of green space with alternative water sources’. The event was suitable for stormwater scheme planners and designers, water consultants, greening specialists, open space managers, environment and sustainability managers and grounds operators.

Victoria

The Victoria Regional Committee hosted their annual Irrigation Industry Field Day in July at Chadwick Reserve, Dingley Village. The theme of this year’s event was ‘Maintenance of an irrigation system to achieve optimum performance’.

Six informative sessions were delivered, covering diverse topics including:

• maintaining pumps

• filters: selection, performance loss and remediation

• rotor sprinklers: installation issues and performance optimisation

• solenoid valves: troubleshooting and maintenance

• flow meters: importance, installation and wiring

• controls: overview, testing, maintenance, and upgrades.

Western Australia

At the time of writing, the 2023 Waterwise Irrigation Expo is just around the corner. This biennial event, held on 16 August at Optus Stadium, showcases the WA Irrigation Industry. Attendees travel from across the state to see the latest innovations in water efficiency practices and technologies and participate in a range of walk and talk seminars. More than 190 registrations have been received and the event looks set to be one of the biggest regional events held in Western Australia.

For the third year in a row, Water Corporation will deliver an irrigation check program to assist urban households in maintaining their lawns and gardens while minimising water use. The initiative ‘Waterwise Sprinkler Checks 2023–2024’ is set to launch on 1 September and is exclusive to Waterwise Garden Irrigators registered with Irrigation Australia (WA Region).

The Victoria Regional Committee partnered with Greater Western Water, South-East Water and Yarra Valley Water to deliver a workshop on 8 August. At the workshop, industry experts and leaders shared their knowledge about new and best practices in irrigating with diverse water sources such as stormwater, rainwater and fit-for-purpose recycled water. The

Water Corporation has also confirmed that the WeatherBased Irrigation Controller Rebate Program for 2023–2024 will be launched in September. This initiative provides eligible residents in the Perth and Peel regions a rebate on the purchase and professional set up of selected weather-based irrigation products.

The eligible controllers are:

• Hunter Hydrawise

• Hunter X2 Controller and WAND Wi-Fi module

• Hunter Solar Sync

• B-Hyve Smart Wi-Fi Irrigation Controller

• B-Hyve Pro Smart Wi-Fi Irrigation

• Rain Bird LNK Wi-FI Module and a compatible Rainbird controller (ESP-RZXe, ESP-Me, ESP-TM2)

• Rain Bird LNK Wi-Fi Module for connection to an existing compatible Rain Bird controller (ESP-RZXe, ESP-Me3, ESPTM2)

Queensland

The Queensland Regional Committee met in July to plan a half-day field day for the Queensland region. The field day will focus on the Wamuran Irrigation Scheme based in Caboolture. The Wamuran Irrigation Scheme will divert Class A recycled water from the Caboolture South Sewage Treatment Plant to farms, giving participating growers a more consistent irrigation water supply and enabling them to expand their operations.

During the field day, members will be transported via bus to different locations. These stops include detailed briefings and tours of the recycled water treatment plant, pump station, floating pump station and supporting infrastructure. Additionally, there will be inspections of farm outlets at Pinata Farms and Twin View Turf Farm.

Once all the logistical details are confirmed, registration invitations will be extended to members. Limited seats will be available for this event, so keep an eye out and secure your place early.

Northern Territory

Irrigation Australia is currently engaging with allied industries to gauge interest in potential training topics that could coincide with a mini trade show. These opportunities present themselves periodically and whenever feasible we will offer manufacturing members the chance to showcase their products and latest technologies. We will keep you informed of any developments.

WATERWISE IRRIGATION PROGRAMS ON FACEBOOK

Have you checked out Irrigation Australia’s Waterwise irrigation programs on Facebook? There are two categories:

• Waterwise Garden Irrigator - for professional installation and maintenance services

• Waterwise Irrigation Design Shop - for expert advice and quality parts

The Facebook page aims to provide the wider community with #waterwise tips and advice and promote members.

Use the QR code and jump on Facebook to find out more and keep up to date.

Find an Irrigation Specialist

If you are looking for an irrigation specialist, then the Irrigation Australia website is your one-stop shop.

Just click on ‘Member directory’

Then you can search for a professional in your area by state, category, postcode, name or company name.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA TRAINING

A training update by Geoff Harvey, Irrigation Australia's National Training, Certification and Marketing Manager.

TRAINING IS KEY TO TECHNOLOGY UPTAKE

Irrigation techniques have seen continuous development over the years, combining old and new technologies to promote water conservation and improve yields in various settings, from rural crops to sports fields and urban households.

Irrigation innovation and technologies have not been a top priority for potential adopters recently, but rising energy costs and a growing awareness of sustainability are finally prompting people to seek solutions. The main challenge has been the slow adoption of new technologies and the lack of training around them. Many people are not well informed about the relationship between soils and water, hindering their ability to use water efficiently and achieve desirable outcomes.

The importance of training

Selecting the right pump for the job and periodic maintenance are key to energy savings and efficient water use.

The way we irrigate is changing

Precision irrigation systems are transforming water management in farming. These systems use sophisticated sensors and artificial intelligence to detect moisture levels and soil conditions, and even adjust watering schedules based on weather forecasts. It’s a brilliant fusion of agronomy and data science, enabling farmers to deliver precise amounts of water to crops, thus maximising yield while reducing water waste.

Some farmers are also adopting drone technology and satellite imagery to monitor irrigation. Drones equipped with advanced imaging and thermal sensors offer real-time insights into crop health and water distribution, facilitating quick corrective actions when inefficiencies or issues arise.

Despite the impressive advancements, implementation poses challenges. Farmers and irrigation professionals need to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively benefit from these technologies. This is where Irrigation Australia comes to the fore, providing tailored training courses that empower growers with the expertise to confidently adopt the latest irrigation innovations and practices.

Popular courses

Irrigation Australia offers a range of competency-based training courses that provide irrigation professionals and growers with the tools and knowledge to harness the latest innovations. Here, I give a brief outline of two popular courses offered.

One of our most popular courses is Irrigation Efficiency, which educates participants on water-saving strategies, modern irrigation techniques, and the importance of maintaining a balance between water usage and conservation. Participants will learn best practices for system upkeep, identifying and resolving common issues, and ensuring efficient water use through regular system maintenance. As part of the course, students learn about the latest technologies and how to use them effectively. By incorporating the principles taught in this course, participants can significantly reduce their water consumption, contribute to environmental preservation and, in turn, reduce costs.

The Irrigation Pumps and Systems course is a popular course provided by Irrigation Australia in which participants learn about adopting energyefficient pumps, solar-powered irrigation systems, and integrating renewable energy sources into farming practices. From water quality management to soil health optimisation, participants gain a thorough understanding of integrated irrigation solutions. By adopting best practices, farmers can ensure the long-term productivity and viability of their agricultural endeavours. The ultimate goal is to reduce power costs, making irrigation more sustainable and cost-effective for farmers.

These are just two examples of courses that cover the latest innovations in irrigation. Some other relevant options offered at Irrigation Australia include:

Qualifications

• Certificate III in Irrigation Technology AHC32422

• Certificate IV in Irrigation Management AHC41119

Short Courses

• Introduction to Irrigation

• Meter Validation and Installation

• Centre Pivot & Lateral Move (CPLM)

• Urban, Commercial & IRRICAD design

• Electrofusion & Butt welding of polyethylene pipelines

• Drip Irrigation Systems and Micro-Irrigation

• Smart Irrigation Controller Programming:

• Water-Wise Irrigation Practices

• Irrigation Systems Auditor

• Evapotranspiration Masterclass

These competency-based courses give participants the knowledge and skills to adopt water-saving technologies and practices. By staying up to date with the latest innovations from manufacturers, workers can play a crucial role in promoting sustainable water usage and ensuring the longevity of agricultural and landscape irrigation systems. For more information, please contact us by email training@ irrigation.org.au or by phone (07) 3517 4000

TRAINING DIARY

12 to 15 Sept (4 half days)

18 to 20 Sept (3 half days)

28 and 29 Sept (2 full days)

9 to 13 Oct (5 full days)

10 to 12 Oct (3 full days)

24 & 25 Oct (2 half days)

IRRIGATION AUDITING CATCH CANS

AVAILABLE FROM IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA

Measure the application rate and uniformity of all types of pressurised irrigation –from handheld hoses to a centre pivot.

Order your set now from Irrigation Australia.

Catch cans with plastic spikes

Set of 12

AU $55.00 (incl GST)

Members: AU $47.00

(incl GST) Plus postage

Catch cans with metal spikes

Set of 10

AU $95.00 (incl GST)

Members: AU

$85.00 (incl GST) Plus postage

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

JILL OF ALL TRADES: DENA-ROSE MILLER EMBARKS ON CERTIFICATE III IN IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY

Over the last three years, Dena-Rose Miller has worked in a variety of roles at Aquawest in Tamworth. She recently decided to build on her knowledge with a Certificate III in Irrigation Technology. We spoke to Dena-Rose about her career path and her impressions of the first block of training, which she completed earlier this year.

IA. Can you tell us about your professional background and your current role?

Dena-Rose. My main professional experience is in hospitality and admin. I’m also qualified in childcare.

I joined Aquawest initially as a store person in October 2020, then progressed to sales, and most recently to store manager in training.

I like to say I’m a jill of all trades – my day consists of a variety of tasks, including loading and unloading trucks with the forklift; counter sales; picking and packing stock for customers and projects; handling customer enquiries; and quoting for tanks, stock water systems and irrigation supply and installs, to name a few. I also support senior sales and help with the organisation of our service teams whilst onsite.

IA. Why did you decide to enrol in a Certificate III in Irrigation Technology?

Dena-Rose. I believe knowledge is power and I really enjoy learning more about the field I work in. At the end, I hope to have a better understanding of all things irrigation and be confident to install, offer advice and help my customers problem-solve their irrigation issues.

IA. What other irrigation training have you completed?

Dena-Rose. This is my first training with Irrigation Australia. I have trained through TAFE NSW and other RTOs over the years.

IA. You've completed the first block of training. What are your impressions so far?

Dena-Rose. Honestly it was more than I expected. The teachers were supportive and very passionate about the Cert III in Irrigation course and how it was delivered. I walked away hungry to learn more. The TOCAL facility in Patterson NSW was also very accommodating.

IA. Any standout learnings from the course so far?

Dena-Rose. We were lucky to have Peter Madden from Hunter Industries spend a day with us and teach us about all things electrical and irrigation controllers. My takeaways from that day have already helped me in my role with my customers who come in struggling with the programming of their controllers and understanding of how they work.

IA. Are there any other courses or training that you are considering?

Dena-Rose. I have recently completed my White Card [a mandatory requirement for construction workers] and am currently enrolled online in a Cert IV in Business Operations with three nightly classes a week.

IRRIGATION TRAINING INFORMATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Check out Irrigation Australia’s training course booklet This comprehensive publication provides essential details on training courses offered by Irrigation Australia.

• Certificate III in Irrigation Technology

• Certificate IV in Irrigation Management

• Centre Pivot and Lateral Move

• Meter Installation and Validation

• Introduction to Irrigation | Agriculture

• Introduction to Irrigation | Urban

• Irrigation Pumps and Systems

• Irrigation Efficiency

• Urban Irrigation Design

• Commercial Irrigation Design

• IRRICAD Design

• Irrigation Installer

• Storage Meter Installation and Validation

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

Think Water Orange opened its doors in February this year. The business is managed by Lucy Wilson, who has a professional background as an emergency nurse. Moving from health to water might seem like a big leap, but as Lucy points out, they are not so different, as both are essential for life! Lucy spoke to Irrigation Australia Journal about her business and her thoughts on the irrigation industry.

IA. Can you tell me about your background?

Lucy. After a long career in health as an emergency nurse, I joined my husband, Rex, in his family business, TWS Evolution, in a WHS role. This was the start of my journey in the water and sewer infrastructure industry. My role later expanded into business management and project administration.

Working in your family business is hard but it also gives the flexibility to work around family. I was lucky to be able to work from home and prioritise my young kids.

In late 2022, the opportunity arose to expand into the retail space, with the Think Water Group. In February 2023, Think Water Orange opened its doors. I manage the business, with tremendous support from Andrew Jarrett who has worked in the irrigation industry for 25 years.

Health and water are similar – both essential for life! I am learning every day – I have a great team with a wide range of skills.

IA. How many staff do you have, and what are their qualifications?

Lucy. Think Water Orange is just Andrew and myself. Andrew is a qualified irrigation installer and structural landscaper and holds a plumber licence. His role is in sales and project and customer support. Four months in and Andrew is developing key relationships with local business and residential clients and councils.

We are supported by the team at TWS Evolution, who have a wide range of skills, including an in-house CMI DQP for NSW water meter installation, certified irrigation designer and installer, mechanical technicians, pump technicians and fabricators.

IA. You've just opened your store in Orange. What do you anticipate the bulk of your work will be?

Lucy. Its early days but our core work so far has been residential irrigation, water filtration for residential and some commercial applications, domestic pump selection and sales. We are becoming a go-to for some businesses to source hard-to-find items like actuated valves and specialist fittings for engineers and the mines. Small residential jobs like pond pump sales and installation are also very popular.

IA. Getting out your crystal ball, what is your prediction for business conditions coming into summer?

Lucy. Water security will potentially be something people will be working towards. The previous drought gave many a fright and no one wants to go through that again.

Spring and summer in Orange is busy and people take such pride in their homes and gardens. Orange is renowned for its diverse economy, encompassing agriculture, mining, acreage house builders, local councils, parks and gardens, landscapers, sports and recreation grounds, and more.

Our strategic approach revolves around identifying opportunities within these sectors and addressing their specific water management challenges.

NEW PUMP AND PIPELINE SAVE WATER AND TIME FOR TASMANIAN GROWERS

SNAPSHOT

• Two Tasmanian farms were experiencing water supply issues with their shared pump system, which transferred water 7 km from a shared holding dam to on-farm storage dams via an open-cut channel.

• Half the pumped water was going to waste due to leaks in the aging channel.

• Irrigation and Dairy Solutions, together with Brown Brothers Engineers, came up with a solution: the channel was replaced with 400 mm polyethylene pipe and the existing pump with a 110 kW long-coupled ISO pump.

• The upgrade has been a success with the new automated system saving time for the growers and the new pipeline and pump set up saving considerable amounts of water.

In the small town of Woodbury in Tasmania, two local farms were experiencing water supply issues with their shared pump system, which was leaking and failing to meet their needs, prompting the need for a solution.

To address this challenge, Irrigation and Dairy Solutions, in collaboration with Brown Brothers Engineers, undertook a complete upgrade of the struggling system. The goal was to improve performance and provide better control over their irrigation capabilities.

Leaking channel halves water supply

The existing system was aging and inefficient. The pump’s job was to transfer irrigation water seven kilometres from a shared holding dam, located off-site, to two storage dams on each property, from which the water was used for centre pivot irrigation on each farm.

The water was delivered to the storage dams via a 15-year-old open-cut gravity channel, which relied on the natural downward flow of water due to gravity. However, the channel had developed leaks, resulting in huge amounts of water going to waste and only half of the pumped water reaching the final holding dams.

Seeking an effective solution, the customers engaged Jason Woodham at Irrigation and Dairy Solutions.

A new pipeline

The channel between the main water supply dam and the on-site water storage dams was completely replaced with 400 mm polyethylene pipe (HDPE). This material was selected for its durability, flexibility, long-term performance and corrosion resistance.

The project was a significant undertaking that took six months, largely due to the extensive seven-kilometre length of the pipeline required. Most of the work took place during the off-season, which minimised the impact on the customers. In case water was needed during this time, they could still use the existing leaky channel as a temporary solution.

Automated pumps

Jason procured and installed the pumps and infrastructure in collaboration with Neil McCarthy from Brown Brothers Engineers Australia, who assisted with pump specifications. The solution involved a 110 kW base-mounted Goulds longcoupled ISO pump, which was installed in the existing pump shed.

An important aspect of the upgrade was the automation of the system. The growers can now log on via their phone or laptop and order up to 15 ML of water per day. The system turns off each client’s valve at their outlet once their water meter registers the required amount.

This feature is great for the growers as it enables them to remotely access and monitor their pump and water supply. Before the upgrade, they had to make a seven-kilometre drive to the pump shed to manually switch on the pump to initiate irrigation.

Irrigation upgrade a success

The new system is now up and running. The Goulds end suction centrifugal pump has proven to be the ideal choice due to its high efficiency, flexible design, reliable performance, and low energy consumption.

The solution not only addresses the inefficiencies of the previous system but also improves water management, allowing both farms to meet their irrigation demands more effectively and conserve water resources.

Acknowledgments. Thanks to Brown Brothers Engineers and Irrigation and Dairy Solutions for providing information and images for this article.

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ARTICLE

MEASURING FLOODPLAIN HARVESTING –A MAJOR PROJECT COMPLETED

The project’s goals

SNAPSHOT

• Fifty demonstration sites have been established as part of the rollout of the floodplain harvesting measurement framework in NSW.

• The sites provide an opportunity for licence holders to learn about the range of approved measurement equipment and the installation techniques best suited for their on-farm needs.

• This article by SierraTek, an engineering and automation control company and successful vendor for this project, provides a summary of the recently completed 12-month project.

SierraTek recently installed floodplain harvesting measuring equipment at 50 demonstration sites across the Border Rivers and Gwydir valleys as part of the NSW rollout of the new floodplain harvesting licensing and measurement frameworks.

The aim of the project, which was delivered by SierraTek for the NSW Department of Planning and Environment’s Water Group, and funded by the Commonwealth Government, was to roll out the technical and field work components of the floodplain harvesting reform within the Border Rivers and Gwydir valleys. The sites will serve as demonstration sites to enable licence holders to learn about the range of equipment available, to see it in action, and to determine which best suits their needs.

Demonstrating a range of equipment

Following a comprehensive planning process, the SierraTek team procured a selection of approved sensor technologies and local intelligence devices (data loggers and telemetry) from a range of suppliers and installed the equipment at the demonstration sites using site specific mounting techniques. These automated measurement devices will replace physical meter readers and will report the water take data and usage in near-real time and directly to the NSW Government’s data acquisition service (DAS) and Water Accounting System (iWAS) where landholders can see this data.

SierraTek also developed innovative methods for installing gauge boards with millimetre accuracy in full storages. The gauge boards enable manual water depth measurements at each site. The team also coordinated the surveying of benchmarks and conversions of all measurements to mAHD (elevation in metres in reference to the Australian Height Datum).

Technology: sensors and telemetry systems

The project uses the latest in sensor technologies, both radar and submersible pressure transducers, connected to various datalogger systems to capture continuous water depth measurement data and store this information.

Each day, the data is transmitted to the NSW Government’s DAS. The telemetry systems utilise the CAT-M1 and NB-IoT cellular networks to connect the field equipment to the WaterNSW portal. Once this data is collected in the DAS, the level data converted to mAHD is used to reference the storage curve or rating table for that dam, and a volumetric calculation is applied to develop the volume of the storage at any particular water level.

Challenges: wet weather, connectivity and long distances

After drought-breaking rains, all storage dams were full when it came time to carry out the installations. Some dams were 15 m deep – not an easy environment in which to install gauge boards and secure equipment to gantry structures!

In fact, wet weather proved to be an ongoing issue as these sites are predominantly black soil plains, which restrict movement for days after even small amounts of rain.

In addition, the poor connectivity in the irrigation areas of this project pushed the telemetry technology to its limits. The team had to come up with some novel solutions to overcome this issue, which is a common problem throughout rural and regional Australia.

Another challenge was the travel required to the demonstration sites; the team clocked up more than 25,000 km over 16 weeks spent working on demonstration sites.

BENCHMARKS AND STORAGE CURVES: WHAT ARE THEY, AND WHY DO THEY MATTER?

Water stored from a floodplain harvesting event is calculated by comparing the volume of water initially in the storage to the volume of water after the event.

Storage metering equipment measures the water level of storages, or dams. If we know both the water level and the surface area, we can use the storage curve to calculate the volume of water within the storage. Storage curves are unique for each storage. Getting the correct storage curve data for each individual dam is crucial to enable us to achieve accurate measurements.

A key component to this is the current surveyed benchmarks, or known elevation reference points, which ensure that meters are calibrated. Getting the datums correct and generating the storage curve/rating table is a time-consuming and costly exercise that must be done correctly for the whole system to function and operate correctly. Considerable work is required to transpose and navigate the farm to locate and generate accurate benchmarks. This is a challenging task owing to the size and scale of these sites, along with the channels, undulations and storage earth wall banks.

Take-home messages

A shortage of surveyors and other skilled labour in this sector – particularly those able to cover the vast geographic area – could contribute to delays when this program is rolled out across the state. To minimise delays, licence holders should be taking action early and starting the planning process. This means installing storage meters, ensuring the latest storage curves are uploaded through the DQP Portal and that current benchmarks are registered in the DQP Portal at the storage dam and gantry structures. Licence holders should be talking to their DQPs, understanding the available options and obtaining quotes to plan their works and their pathway to compliance.

Sensors are mounted on custom radar sensor arms. This bracket is designed so that the DQP can remove the forward bolt and use the stainless-steel draw wire to pivot the sensor arm for easy maintenance and be return it to its original place when completed. This design ensures the sensor position and accuracy is maintained after maintenance or inspections. Anti-roosting bird spikes are deployed along the arm to prevent fouling and damage by wildlife.

Under the non-urban metering rules, only a CMI can install and validate meters and only a CSV can install storage meters, including local intelligence devices (LIDs) and tamper-evident seals. You can become a CMI or CSV (known as a duly qualified person) by completing a meter installer a validator certification through Irrigation Australia. Find out more here: Certified Meter Installer & Validator (coie.com.au)

Interested in becoming a certified meter installer (CMI) or certified storage meter installer and validator (CSV) in NSW?

POTATO IRRIGATION – SETTING UP FOR SUMMER

Crop water use in potato crops varies substantially between growth stages throughout the season, and getting irrigation right has a big impact on potato yield and quality. This article, based on a webinar by Potatolink, looks at irrigation scheduling, monitoring and common mistakes (and how to avoid making them) when irrigating potatoes over the summer months.

Five growth stages

Potato crops go through five growth stages – sprouting and emergence, vegetative, tuber initiation, tuber bulking, and senescence. The crop water use differs between each stage. Sprouting and emergence. Immediately after planting, during sprouting and emergence, crop water use is low. During this extended period of slow growth, the main risk is overwatering. The soil should be kept relatively dry.

Vegetative and tuber initiation stages. Crops benefit from high available soil moisture during the tuber initiation and vegetative stages. Underwatering at this point will reduce tuber numbers and result in low soil moisture at depth. It is critical to maintain this soil moisture for later in the season during the tuber bulking stage.

The main danger period is transition to vegetative and tuber initiation stage. During this time it is common to see a five-fold increase in water use as the leaf area rapidly expands. Additionally, during this stage, the days are getting longer and warmer, so evapotranspiration is increasing.

Without adequate water at this stage, crops might experience a range of quality and disease issues, particularly with varieties that are susceptible to diseases like common scab.

Tuber bulking stage. Tubers are made up of about 75 per cent water and the final rooting depth is about 40 to 50 cm. During the mid-season tuber bulking stage, expect 40 to 50 days of high crop water use. The peak crop water use occurs around the second half of this stage. About half the crop’s total water use occurs during tuber bulking, and this is often when potatoes are underwatered.

Daily water use tends to vary at this stage (see Figure 1) and is largely driven by weather conditions. The capacity of the irrigation system is critical. If a system can’t keep up with peak demand, the crop will rely on reserves in soil.

Senescence. During this stage, the canopy dies and water use drops off rapidly (see Figure 1). At this point, it is important to gradually dry down the soil to ensure tuber quality. Inadequate moisture will accelerate death and result in smaller tubers and lower yields. Too much moisture will increase the chance of disease.

TIPS

• During the emergence and vegetative stages, the rapid increase in leaf area is driving big increases in water use: watch the crop.

• Once you get to row closure and full canopy, during the tuber bulking stage, watch the weather. Fluctuations in crop water demand at this stage are caused mainly by changes in evapotranspiration as a result of weather changes.

Get irrigation right during tuber bulking

Adequate water is critical during the tuber bulking stage. Overwatering by 0 to 40 mm (as shown by the green bar in Figure 2) yields the maximum yield. Outside of this narrow watering window, yield drops off dramatically.

Understanding the refill point

Maintaining soil moisture levels at around the refill point is ideal for potato crops. Below refill, yield is reduced, and above refill can lead to problems with reduced quality and disease. In the paddock, you can test whether the soil is at refill point by looking at and feeling the soil. When you pick up a handful, you can roll into a ball, but it won’t be wet enough to leave moisture on hand.

The refill point changes with the season, between seasons and in response to soil management, so it is something that the grower needs to keep an eye on and getting it right can be tricky.

Tips to get refill point right:

• If you have no prior information about the site or are setting up a new pivot, start with Table 1 as a guide. This table shows typical refill and full points for different soil types. Most potatoes are gown in sandy loamy type soil. Volumetric water content (% VWC) can be determined from a capacitance probe or a time-domain reflectometry sensor. If you have a soil moisture package, you’ll get the data in millimetres.

• Observe the crop to understand what’s happening in the soil. Look for changes in the leaf canopy in mid-afternoon and adjust refill point if plants are showing signs of stress.

• Look for changes in daily water use over a stable period –the step-change down each day should be roughly the same if weather conditions are the same.

• Be guided by IrriSat – check your actual water use versus IrriSat’s predicted water use for a given period. If actual water use if lower than predicted, either the crop may be receiving inadequate water or crop water use may be slowing down.

Common mistakes

Some common pitfalls to avoid in potato irrigation are:

• overirrigating at beginning and underirrigating at peak

• failing to keep up with crop water use, especially in spring and early summer

• going into a run of hot weather with no water in the ‘bank’ –dry subsoils

• not starting irrigation early enough after rainfall. This is a common mistake that can lead to reduced yield

• insurance irrigation – “I‘ll just add a bit more”. In doing this, you run the risk of leaching nutrients and creating conditions for disease

• not planning for reduced water supply – e.g., is the grower’s allocation adequate?

• system capacity is insufficient and cannot meet peak crop requirements.

Maximise yield by planning ahead

Once a potato crop is visibly stressed, the damage has already been done. The key is to understand exactly what amount of water is required, and when, and to be sure from the outset that you can deliver that amount of water.

Acknowledgment. This article was reproduced from a Potatolink Australian Potato Industry Extension Project irrigation webinar presented by Dr Kelvin Montagu, Marc Hindrager and Ray Nalder. The webinar can be found here

ICID INSIGHTS

One presentation that stood out at last years’ 24th ICID Congress in Adelaide was The N.D. Gulhati Lecture, delivered by Hon. Karlene Maywald, South Australian Water Ambassador. Ms Maywald provided an Australian perspective in her lecture ‘Putting people at the heart of what we do’. This a summary of her presentation.

We all have a role to play

Traditionally, the world has taken a siloed approach to tackling water problems. However, given the complexity of current challenges, it is essential that we take a collaborative approach involving government, industries, researchers, and the people for whom water and food availability is a matter of survival. Ms Maywald stressed the shared responsibility of politicians, scientists, industry, consumers and communities in driving a new collaborative approach to water challenges.

Stakeholders have distinct roles to play: politicians need better governance and policies; farmers must optimise resource use while minimising ecological impact and making a profit; scientists should conduct research that can be used to underpin evidence-based decision-making; industries need to innovate promote transformative technologies; communities require equitable access to clean water; and consumers should contribute to sustainability.

Six principles for water reform

Despite having technology and solutions, Ms Maywald pointed out a disconnect between problems and on-ground solutions, due to an absence of accompanying policy reforms. Reforms are usually driven by governments and water regulators responding to scientific evidence and stakeholder concerns.

Within this context, she outlined six key principles for effective water reform:

• Leadership: Establish inclusive, transparent, and wellresourced engagement, sharing leadership responsibilities for effective stakeholder collaboration. Investment in leadership capabilities at the outset will be money well spent as communities and stakeholders work through competing interests to reach an agreement on the trade-offs needed to achieve a sustainable future.

• Building trusted relationships: Develop safe environments and take the time to build trusted relationships by understanding values, culture, and conflict – people matter.

• Clarity of purpose: Clearly define the reform purpose, roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities.

• Problem definition and joint discovery: Base water reforms on evidence, including science, local and cultural knowledge, economics, and social impact data. Engage stakeholders in defining and solving the problems, minimising conflicts.

• Flexibility and timing: Allow flexibility in the reform process.

• Decision-making and change management: Focus on community participation, equitable water distribution, environmental sustainability, economic growth, and achieving public goals.

Stakeholder conflicts

Through these principles, Ms. Maywald suggested conflict resolution pathways could become easier. Drawing from her experience of Murray-Darling Basin reforms, she examined successes and challenges, using two case studies to emphasise stakeholder conflicts: the process leading to the adoption of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and the privatisation of local irrigation management schemes in Queensland. Because of the variety of stakeholders, conflict arises in many domains.

Addressing environmental conflicts, she identified key elements:

• Interest or distributional elements: Stakeholders competing for resources – for, example water for irrigating crops, industrial needs or tourism.

• Value elements: Conflicts arising from differing cultural beliefs, such as our cultural responsibility for the land, water and the plants and animals that depend upon them.

• Data elements: Conflicts due to lack of information available to make informed decisions.

• Labelling elements: Negative labels leading to misconceptions and stereotypes.

• Structural elements: Conflicts arising due to the organisational structure erected to manage the resource.

• Risk elements: Understanding approaches to handling risks. Bringing diverse perspectives together to identify fair solutions is challenging, and traditionally this has not been

done well in water management. Ms Maywald stressed the importance of considering science, values, cultures, and community needs when seeking trade-offs, and of creating an environment that enables people to shift from fear to trust. Using political or institutional power to dictate solutions may inflame long term conflict that can take generations to unpick.

Embrace conflict

Ms Maywald concluded her lecture by recommending that we embrace conflicts as part of the water reform process. She suggested that we need to create pathways for the adoption of innovation, embrace all the sciences – technical, economic, environmental, and societal – and empower our communities to drive positive change.

Information. This is a summary of an article published in the recently released Report of the 24th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage , which was held in October 2022. The full report can be accessed here

EVENT SCHEDULE

DATE EVENT LOCATION CONTACT/ INFORMATION

1 to 8

November

2023

BOOKSHELF

NEW REPORT: WATER IS ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNITIES TO THRIVE

Water is now being recognised as having an expanded role beyond drinking water, wastewater and stormwater. This expanding role embraces water as a critical enabler of innovation, sustainability, and economic productivity.

It is against this backdrop that the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) has released a report called Blue x green = thriving. A progress report on water’s role for thriving communities.

This report follows on from the WSAA’s earlier Blue+ green = Liveability report, which highlighted the value of liveability benefits, including physical and mental health benefits, attributable to integrated water management ($94 per person per year). Similarly in the UK, Vivid Economics estimate that Londoners avoid £950 million per year in health costs due to public green space and for every pound invested in green space there was a return of £27 in value.

26 to 28

February 2024

1 to 7

September 2024

25th International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage & 75th IEC Meeting

1st Middle East Regional Conference

75th International Executive Council Meeting and 9th Asian Regional Conference

Andhra Pradesh, India

rsdte@nic.in, ceenvtmgmt@nic. in, yellark@gmail. com

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia a.almajed@ sio.gov.sa, ma.alomair@sio. gov.sa

Sydney, Australia http://www. irrigationaustralia. com.au/

IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA'S COMMITTEE ON IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE (IACID)

Momir Vranes (Chair)

Dave Cameron

P: +61 7 3517 4001, E: dave.cameron@ irrigation.org.au

Naomi Carragher

P: +61 7 3517 4002, E: naomi.carragher@ irrigation.org.au

Geoff Harvey

Peter Hayes

Eddie Parr

Carl Walters

Richard McLoughlin

Karlene Maywald

Michael Scobie

Isaac Jeffrey

Claire Miller

Andrew Ogden

From living to thriving

This progress report aims to advance our understanding of water’s role not only in improving the liveability of communities but in helping communities to thrive. It explores in greater detail how we can manage our water resources in innovative ways to achieve the goals of:

• enhancing urban and regional liveability

• stimulating economic productivity

• protecting ecosystems.

It makes key recommendations for federal and state governments and water utilities around what actions can be taken to achieve these goals, and it showcases some innovative solutions and actions already being undertaken.

Irrigation industry’s role

The report highlights the importance of water and green infrastructure in creating thriving communities and a healthy economy.

A key recommendation is the need to deliver an alloptions approach on the development and scaling of blue and green spaces. The report also highlights design options and associated benefits that can be realised as we progress from liveability to thriving communities. Irrigation methods, practices and training are critical to achieving these objectives in a sustainable way.

Information. You can download the report from the WSAA website

THE WATER CONSERVANCY

WATER

NIGHT:

IMPROVING WATER LITERACY AMONG AUSTRALIANS

Those who work in the irrigation industry are acutely aware of the value of water, so it might come as a surprise to hear that a recent survey run by the Water Conservancy showed that water literacy in Australia is poor and getting worse. This is especially true for respondents from Gen Y and Gen Z, who had the lowest rates of water literacy. Many struggled to answer simple questions like, ‘where does water come from?,’ and, ‘how is water supplied to crops and homes?’.

Education is key

In this era of convenience, in which many people take water for granted, The Water Conservancy wants to help the education sector improve people’s water literacy. Those who don’t work in agriculture or the water sector may not have put a moment’s thought into processes such as how our vegetables are grown or how water comes out of our taps. This lack of understanding fosters poor attitudes and behaviours around water. If we can improve people’s knowledge of our water supply, this will naturally lead to more water-wise behaviours. Improving the water literacy of Australians is increasingly important as climate change contributes to more volatile weather and more severe floods and droughts.

Turn off your taps for Water Night

Water Night is an annual campaign run by TWC to improve people’s water knowledge. Participants sign up to Water Night and promise to turn their taps off on 19 October 2023 from 5pm to 10pm to join Australia in improving water knowledge and awareness.

IN THE NEXT ISSUE

The Summer 2023 issue of Irrigation Australia Journal will feature:

EDITORIAL

> Pumps and pumping

> Case studies: design and installation

ADVERTISING FEATURE

> Annual pumps and pumping feature

CONFIRM YOUR ADVERTISING PRESENCE NOW!

Contact Brian Rault on 0411 354 050 or email brian.rault@bcbmedia.com.au

This year, Water Night’s theme is ‘What-A Legend!, ’ a play on the iconic Aussie compliment. Water Night also provides homes, schools and businesses with additional resources to improve Australia’s water awareness. These resources include links back to TWC’s Smart Approved Water Mark products such as irrigation controllers

Sponsorship opportunities

As Water Night has grown each year, interest from sponsors has come in thick and fast! We have financial sponsors and in-kind supporters from across the water industry. Find out about Water Night sponsorship opportunities here

The event has become such a hit, the UK is adopting it this year!

Signed up to Water Night? What-a legend! Information.

STATE ROUNDUP

GROUNDWATER DATA NOW AVAILABLE IN MURRAY-DARLING BASIN WATER INFORMATION PORTAL

The Bureau of Meteorology has released a new version of the Murray-Darling Basin Water Information Portal. The Portal is a central source of Basin-wide information in one easy-touse online platform that provides water information to the public.

It brings together recent and historical information about water availability, water in storages, groundwater, streamflow, allocation volumes, water take, water markets, water quality, rainfall and soil moisture for the Basin. Information about groundwater levels is now available in the Portal, showing the impact of groundwater on water levels in aquifers. Groundwater trade information now complements the surface water trade information available in the Portal.

The Portal also includes interactive river diagrams of major Basin catchments. In one view, users can interact to see how rivers in a catchment are connected and how the water currently flows through key storages and river gauges.

The Portal has been designed in consultation with Basin communities and the Bureau will continue to seek feedback throughout the development of each version.

Information. Explore the portal here Source. Bureau of Meteorology website

TASMANIAN IRRIGATION SCHEME PLANNING UNDERWAY

Planning for the construction of the Northern Midlands Irrigation scheme and the Sassafras-Wesley Vale Irrigation scheme augmentation projects is well underway. These projects are being delivered in partnership with the Tasmanian Government and Tasmanian Irrigation.

The two projects will see underground pipelines and pumping stations built to create modern, large scale, efficient water storage and distribution networks.

This will bring a range of benefits to the Northern Midlands, Sassafras, and Wesley Vale regions, including:

• delivering an extra 40 GL of water to local farmers each year

• making almost 15,000 more hectares of land available for irrigation

• generating more than 150 construction jobs and almost 450 ongoing jobs.

This all equates to an expected increase in annual farming revenue of $184 million, which is expected to inject $53.6 million into the state’s economy every year.

Source. The National Water Grid Authority website

UNDERSTANDING SHALLOW GROUNDWATER IN QUEENSLAND’S GRANITE BELT

Landholders in Queensland’s Granite Belt region are being urged to help the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water improve its understanding of shallow groundwater that is being taken.

The department is collecting information from landholders on works constructed prior to 2016. This includes existing dams, bores, wells or other works that access this groundwater with the aim of documenting how many existing works are across the Granite Belt. Other types of notifiable works include any excavations, interception trenches or any associated ring tanks. The department is asking landholders to submit the information by 20 September.

Information. For more information call 07 4529 1347 or email graniteBeltNotice@rdmw.qld.gov.au Source. Queensland Government website

MID-YEAR REPORT POINTS TO CHALLENGES IN BASIN PLAN IMPLEMENTATION

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has issued the latest Basin Plan Report Card, updating on the progress of key activities under the Basin Plan. The tenth in a series, this report card reflects the progress made in first six months of 2023, during a period of significant flooding and flood recovery around the Murray–Darling Basin.

The report card assessed five key elements of Basin Plan implementation. Some elements are on track, namely: water recovery, environmental water delivery and water resource plans in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and ACT.

Others are at high risk of delay. Plans in NSW are still lagging with only five of the required 20 plans being accredited and operational. There also remains substantial work to implement many of the Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) supply and constraints projects and efficiency projects by 30 June 2024.

Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek has concluded that “we have to extend the time frame”, confirming that the Federal Government is “determined to deliver the whole of the Murray Darling Basin Plan”. Basin state water ministers have indicated that extensions of timelines will be welcomed by NSW and VIC and accepted by SA. Isaac Jeffrey, CEO of the National Irrigators’ Council (NIC), says that the NIC welcomes the extended timeline.

The MDBA will review the Basin Plan in 2026.

Information. The Basin Plan Report Card is available on the MDBA website. A Roadmap to the 2026 Basin Plan Review is available here. The Roadmap outlines how the MDBA will approach the review and how the community can get involved.

SETTING PRICES: WHAT IS AND ISN’T PERMITTED FOR

BUSINESSES

This article from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) outlines what businesses are and are not permitted to do by law when it comes to setting prices.

What the law does and doesn't allow Businesses can generally set, raise and lower the prices they charge for the products and services they supply.

Businesses decide the prices of their goods and services based on a variety of factors, including:

• recovering the costs they face in supplying the goods or services

• earning a profit

• conditions in the market – demand and supply for those goods or services.

The prices for some goods and services can remain relatively stable over long periods. In other instances, prices for goods and services can change significantly on a regular basis due to these factors.

If consumers or businesses think the prices a business is charging are too high, they can consider alternative suppliers, or consider not purchasing the product or service at all, where this is possible.

Prices that people think are too high, or sudden increases in price, are not illegal. However, the business's behaviour around setting prices may be illegal if it harms competition in a certain way.

It's also illegal for businesses to make false or misleading claims about prices, including the reason for any changes in prices.

High prices

People may consider the prices a business charges to be too high. This is sometimes referred to as ‘price gouging’ or ‘excessive pricing’.

Sometimes businesses may respond to a sudden rise in demand or lack of supply with very large price increases. While it’s often seen as unfair, prices or price increases that people may think are too high are not illegal on their own. However, it's illegal for businesses to make false or misleading claims about prices, including the reason for price increases.

Surge pricing

Surge pricing is when businesses temporarily increase their prices during periods of high demand. For example, rideshare companies may increase their prices when there are many people wanting rides and not enough available drivers. Surge pricing is not illegal, but businesses must be clear about the price consumers will pay. They must also not make false or misleading claims about their prices.

Anti-competitive pricing

Although businesses are free to set their own prices, they must do so independently of other businesses. Some pricing behaviour is illegal because it harms competition, leading to less choice or higher prices for consumers.

Price fixing

Price fixing happens when competitors agree on pricing instead of competing against each other. Price fixing is a form of cartel conduct and is always illegal. You can find out more about price fixing here

Minimum resale prices

Suppliers must not try to stop resellers selling goods or services below a minimum price. It’s also illegal for resellers to ask their suppliers to stop their competitors from discounting.

Predatory pricing

It’s usually legal for businesses to sell products below the cost price. However, if this is done in a way that substantially lessens competition, this is considered misuse of market power and is illegal.

Source. This article is reprinted from the ACCC website under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.

AROUND INDUSTRY

KILTER RURAL WINS NATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

Congratulations to Irrigation Australia member Kilter Rural, the category winner for Environment and Agriculture in the 2023 Australian Financial Review Sustainability Awards!

Kilter Rural won the award for its Murray–Darling Basin Balanced Water Fund. The Fund’s objectives are to secure water for agricultural purposes, to realise a financial return, and to help restore culturally and environmentally threatened wetlands.

The Fund is a partnership between Kilter Rural, The Nature Conservancy Australia and the Murray–Darling Wetlands Working Group, who each play a crucial role in the delivery of the fund. Kilter Rural actively manages the water portfolio to achieve financial returns for investors and ensure donations are delivered to The Nature Conservancy and the Murray–Darling Wetlands Working Group for the planning, delivery and scientific oversight of the environmental watering.

According to the Australian Financial Review, the Murray-Darling Basin Balanced Water Fund has struck an admirable balance between profit and sustainability. The fund has achieved an impressive total annualised return of 12.22 per cent (to June 30, 2023) for investors while donating more than 10,900 ML of water for environmental and cultural outcomes. Notably, the fund allocates between 10 to 40 percent of its water holdings each year to support vital wetlands and ecosystems, based on the seasonal outlook.

“We are thrilled and honoured to receive the AFR Sustainability Leaders award,” said Cullen Gunn, CEO at Kilter Rural. “This recognition is a testament to our team’s and to our fund partner’s dedication to finding innovative solutions that align financial success with environmental stewardship. It reflects our commitment to making a meaningful and sustainable impact in the Murray-Darling Basin and beyond.”

CADSULT MERGER

Irrigation design consultancy CADSULT IDS has merged with Prevost Stamper Pty Ltd (PSI).

Jeff Stamper has been in the irrigation industry for more than 26 years. As a landscape architect and certified irrigation designer, Jeff has a wealth of experience working on prestigious projects in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and North American markets.

He has worked on more than 100 golf courses in 27 different countries around the globe, including having designed 11 of the top 100 ranked golf courses within the Asia-Pacific region. Jeff has also worked on many planned residential communities, parks, theme parks, resorts, and large commercial developments.

Following the addition of Jeff Stamper to the team, CADSULT IDS also announced the opening of a new office in Sydney. “Having feet on the ground in Sydney will enable us to offer our NSW clients, both new and old, a more comprehensive in-person service experience,” Managing Director Troy Fiscus said.

NEW PRODUCTS

BERMAD

Bermad M10 for electromagnetic flow metering

The ability to control, monitor and measure water is the most pressing issue for our industry. Digital devices that help achieve this are crucial for providing accurate data and monitoring, which enables growers to optimise their crop yields and manage water sustainably. Equipment for these purposes must comply with the standards and expectations of regulators and governments.

Over the past six years, valve manufacturer Bermad Water Technologies has been progressing its journey into the digital space, developing certified, robust and userfriendly devices that allow anyone to control the flow and measurement of water on their site. Bermad has recently developed a new electromagnetic flow meter that can be controlled remotely by a user-friendly app.

Electromagnetic flow metering

The new Bermad M10 is a high-performance composite meter, reinforced with glass fibre, designed to excel without the need for straight pipe lengths. It can operate continuously when submerged in up to 1.5 m of water, communicating through pulse outputs, Modbus or Bluetooth communications. This electromagnetic flow meter is MID-001 OIML R49 certified and is in the final stages of approval for NMI M10 certification.

Cloud-based control system

The Bermad M10 connects to a cloud-based irrigation control system, the Omega. The Omega enables users to control up to 13 devices, including solenoids, pumps and sensors, through a simple smartphone app. It can also be seamlessly integrated it into a data management system. Its IO connection compatibility allows it to handle a wide range of functionalities right from the moment it is unboxed.

The intuitive, user-friendly app provides step-by-step instructions to help users connect, set up and manage their devices. This functionality is enabled by the Bermad Cloud, which is connected through either 4G or low bandwidth GSM cellular network. With an internet connection, you can access, monitor and control your devices from anywhere in the world.

Manual actuator option

For users who haven’t fully embraced digital control, the latest Bermad pressure control valve, Top Pilot, offers a manual actuator option. With this feature, you can easily adjust the pressure to maintain a consistent and controlled flow to your irrigation lines. The valve has a maximum pressure rating of 10 BAR, and its composite body ensures both durability and precise control, allowing you to fine-

tune the pressure down to 0.8 BAR using a simple dial mechanism.

Bermad Water Technologies

Bermad Water Technologies, founded in Israel in 1965, manufactures high-quality irrigation control valves. Bermad’s valves were originally made from cast iron, but over time the range has expanded to include strong, lightweight composite valves. For the past six years the company has been focussing on digital solutions.

Information. Find out more about the Bermad M10 here

TELEMEX

Telemex Smart Irrigation

Telemex is a secure, cloud-based platform for customer and water management for Australian irrigation authorities of any size. It supports customer allocations, including transfers and carryover rules, and metering and reporting for billing and compliance. Water networks are visualised through an innovative map-based interface that gives operators an instant overview of the status of network demand and delivery.

Customers will immediately see the impact of changes to announced allocations and water transfers across their water accounts. When placing water orders, system rules will prevent orders that will exceed the capacity of the water network and restrict customers from exceeding their water allocation balances.

For customers that also use smart metering, Telemex provides live reconciliations between water orders and actual consumption.

Benefits for the irrigation authority

Smart demand management for irrigation authorities

Customer water demand is the driver of water delivery. In networks where water must be provisioned more than 24 hours in advance for water entitlement holders, it is crucial to provide customers with an efficient and user-friendly solution to place and manage their water orders.

This is where the Telemex solution comes into play; it incorporates the scheme’s business rules for network delivery and translates water demand into the necessary flow rates for the SCADA control infrastructure.

Telemex allows customers to drive the delivery of their water through the control infrastructure, with minimal oversight and intervention required from time-strapped staff. By removing the need for manual processes and voicebased ordering systems, Telemex facilitates high operational efficiency and leads to improved customer satisfaction.

Benefits for the customer

Through the Telemex mobile app, customers can easily create and modify their orders, view real-time accounting of their allocations, and receive notifications about their water orders and other service broadcasts issued by the irrigation authority.

From an irrigation authority’s viewpoint, the technology eliminates the need for unwieldy Access databases, spreadsheets and risky home-made software to account for and report on entitlements, water billing and regulatory compliance.

Telemex also helps the water authority to decouple its systems from rigid vendor-locked proprietary systems. As Telemex is built on open standards and protocols, this reduces total cost of service delivery and support, whilst also improves agility to respond to the rapidly changing needs of the water authority.

Water managers are likely to see long-term benefits, too, as labour costs rise and regulatory demands on accounting of water efficiency increase. Telemex delivers efficiency improvements that allow water managers to deliver better customer service, with less manual intervention.

About Telemex Smart Irrigation

Telemex Smart Irrigation is developed and supported by Queensland-based company Tyeware, known as the developer of Australia’s most successful urban smart water metering software platform and a leader in IoT and water solutions.

Information. More information on Telemex can be found at: www.telemex.com.au

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

5. Conference & Tradeshow Discounts

Member discounts on attending and exhibiting at the Irrigation Australia Biennial International Conference & Exhibition.

6. Members Only Portal

11. International Representation

Be par t of the global irrigation community and gain access to international contacts via the Irrigation membership of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID).

1. Irrigation Journal Copies

Distributed quarterly in digital format, Irrigation Australia’s signature publication, the Journal, contains valuable industry information about new projects, technologies and techniques for Agriculture, Landscape & Domestic Irrigation.

Gain access to the members only portal on the Irrigation Australia website. Through the portal you can manage your Irrigation Australia membership, register your staff/employees for training, access members only documents, presentation and other materials.

7. Access to eKnowledge

Irrigation Australia eKnowledge repository has significant resources of technical papers, conference papers, Irrigation Journals and FAQ’s available only for Members.

8. Discounts on Publications and Merchandise

12. Discounts on Waterwise endorsement Receive significant member discounts on the Waterwise endorsement programs, relevant for domestic irrigation contractors, installers, landscapers and retailers. Benef it from Waterwise marketing and merchandise to promote yourself as a Waterwise irrigation professional to the community.

See www.waterwiseprograms.com.au for more information.

Additional Membership Benefits

2. Access to the National Irrigation Directory

The only national and comprehensive digital directory where you can find details about irrigation retail businesses, manufacturers, installers, contractors, certified professionals.

3. Training Discounts

Receive significant member discounts on nationally accredited irrigation training and qualifications delivered by Irrigation Australia in city and regional areas and on line virtually.

4. Certification Discounts

Receive significant member discounts on the joining fee and renewal fee to the Certification Program administered by Irrigation Australia.

Certification is a national program of industry recognition. Certification adds instant credibility with customers, increases job opportunities and demonstrates your commitment to efficient water management. Visit our website to learn more www.irrigationaustralia.com.au

Irrigation Australia offers a wide range of books, eBooks and other merchandise through its online store. Members receive significant discounts on materials.

9. Invitations to Regional Meetings & Events

Irrigation Australia hosts a number of regional meetings, events and site visits across Australia. This is a great opportunity for members and industry colleagues to come together to discuss new challenges, technologies and network.

(EXCLUDES PRIMARY PRODUCERS, INDIVIDUALS & RETIRED MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY)

13. Free Listing in the online National Irrigation Directory

List your business for free with digital copies reaching the wider irrigation industry which attracts significant page views every month

14. Free Online Job Listing

List your upcoming job vacancies on Irrigation Australia’s online job board which attracts significant targeted views every month.

15. Free Listing on Irrigation Australia’s Website

List your business on Irrigation Australia’s Website Directory “Find an Irrigation Specialist” on the front page of our website www.irrigationaustralia.com.au

10. Monthly Electronic E-News

Receive our monthly Irrigation E-News with the latest information on upcoming training, events as well as new products, information and industry news.

16. Advertisement Discounts on Irrigation Australia Publications

Receive significant discounts on advertising in the Irrigation Journal. The Irrigation Journal is distributed each quarter to all members and industry contacts

MEET THE TEAM

DAVE CAMERON Chief Executive Officer IAL Brisbane Office Dave.cameron@irrigation.org.au

NAOMI CARRAGHER Business Administration Manager/Company Secretary IAL Brisbane Office Naomi.carragher@irrigation.org.au

STUART ALEXANDER

Senior Trainer & Assessor

IAL Brisbane Office

Stuart.alexander@irrigation.org.au

MADDISON COWARD

Training and Certification Administration Officer

IAL Brisbane Office

Maddison.coward@irrigation.org.au

GEOFF HARVEY National Training, Certification & Marketing Manager IAL Brisbane Office Geoff.harvey@irrigation.org.au

KASEY BARTON

Training and Certification Coordinator IAL Brisbane Office

Kasey.barton@irrigation.org.au

TRACY MARTIN National Membership & Regions Manager IAL Perth Office

Tracy.martin@irrigation.org.au

MARIKE FRONEMAN Accountant IAL Brisbane Office

Marike.froneman@irrigation.org.au

REBECCA NEW WA Projects Officer

IAL Perth Office Rebecca.new@irrigation.org.au

MARTINE HAARHOFF

Business Administration Assistant IAL Brisbane Office

Martine.haarhoff@irrigation.org.au

ASHLEIGH LANG Office Junior Administrator IAL Brisbane Office

Ashleigh.lang@irrigation.org.au

IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA OFFICE

PO Box 13, Cannon Hill, Queensland 4170

T 1300 949 891 or 07 3517 4000 F 07 3517 4010

W www.irrigationaustralia.com.au

CEO: Dave Cameron E dave.cameron@irrigation.org.au

EDITORIAL Editor | EVE WHITE E evewhiteediting@gmail.com

ADVERTISING

BCB Media | Managing Director | Brian Rault T 0411 354 050 E brian.rault@bcbmedia.com.au

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Bubble Creative | Director | Annette Epifanidis T 03 8516 4717 E annette@bubblecreative.com.au

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Advertising in this journal is managed by BCB Media on behalf of Irrigation Australia Limited. All contact with businesses and organisations about advertising is made by BCB Media staff, who must identify themselves and the fact that they work for BCB Media on behalf of the IAL.

Advertising enquiries should be directed to BCB Media.

No special consideration will be given to any advertisers as far as editorial content or front cover material is concerned. Decisions about editorial content and the front cover are the prerogative of the editor and the National Board of the IAL.

Irrigation Australia Limited takes no responsibility for the technical accuracy of article content.