Register      Login
Crop and Pasture Science Crop and Pasture Science Society
Plant sciences, sustainable farming systems and food quality
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > CP > AR03192
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 55(5)

Towards effective control of deep drainage under border-check irrigated pasture in the Murray–Darling Basin: a review

Matthew Bethune
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

Department of Primary Industries, Private Bag 1, Ferguson Road, Tatura, Vic. 3616, Australia; email: matthew.bethune@dpi.vic.gov.au

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 55(5) 485-494 https://doi.org/10.1071/AR03192
Submitted: 11 September 2003  Accepted: 20 February 2004   Published: 8 June 2004

Abstract

High watertables and land salinisation threaten the sustainability and prosperity of the irrigated dairy industry in the Murray–Darling Basin of Australia. High watertables and salinisation result from excessive deep drainage. Spatial and temporal trends in deep drainage data pertinent to the dairy industry in the Murray–Darling Basin are reviewed with a view towards reducing deep drainage. The reviewed data indicate that deep drainage under border-check irrigated pasture is generally greater than the leaching requirement and can be reduced without affecting pasture growth. Deep drainage through levee soils is likely to contribute significantly to regional groundwater. Consideration needs to be given to the appropriateness of using the border-check irrigation system on levee soils. Pressurised irrigation systems or land use change may be required to reduce deep drainage under these soils. The majority of deep drainage under floodplain soils occurs during winter and spring, when rainfall exceeds pasture water use. Developing a soil water deficit prior to winter will reduce deep drainage. This can be achieved by ending the irrigation season earlier. A later start to the irrigation season also offers potential to divert more winter rainfall into evapotranspiration rather than deep drainage.


Acknowledgments

I thank Frank Dunin for his comments on this manuscript.


References


Armstrong D, Knee J, Doyle P, Pritchard K, Gyles O (2000) Water-use efficiency on irrigated dairy farms in northern Victoria and southern New South Wales. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 40, 643–653.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Austin N (1998) Sustainable use of water and fertiliser in the irrigated dairy industry of Australia. PhD thesis, University of Melbourne, Australia.

Austin N, Prendergast JB (1997) Use of Kinematic wave theory to model irrigation on cracking soil. Irrigation Science 18, 1–10.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Ayers RS (1997) Quality of water for irrigation. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage 103, 135–154.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Bakker AC, Bakker AC, Cockcroft B (1994) Salting in the Goulburn Valley. Victorian Horticultural Digest 62, 9–15.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Bartels LF (1965) Estimation of soil drainage losses following irrigation. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 5, 59–64. open url image1

Bethune M, Batey T (2002) Impact on soil hydraulic properties resulting from irrigating saline-sodic soils with low salinity water. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 42, 273–280.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Bethune M, Finger L, Wood M, Wang QJ (2003) Sprinkler, subsurface drip and surge irrigation experiment (DAV11163 - extension of DAV422). Final Report, June 2003. Department of Primary Industries, Tatura, Vic.

Bethune M, Wang QJ (2004) A lysimeter study of the water balance of border check irrigated perennial pasture using lysimeters. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 44, 151–162.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Blaikie SJ (1986) Effects of soil and water management on the productivity of irrigated pastures in the Goulburn Valley. MAgSc thesis, University of Melbourne, Australia.

Blaikie SJ, Martin FM (1987) Limits to the production of irrigated pastures in south-east Australia. ‘Temperate pastures: their production use and management’. (Eds JL Wheeler, CJ Pearson, GE Robards) pp. 119–122. (CSIRO: Melbourne)

Brown SA (1978) Percolation losses under perennial pasture irrigation in the Shepparton region. Project Report–In-service Training Project, Irrigation Research Station, Kyabram, Vic.

Butler BE (1950) A theory of prior streams as a causal factor in the distribution of soils in the Riverine Plain of south eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 1, 231–252.
| Crossref |
open url image1

Clemmens, AJ (2000). ‘Measuring and improving irrigation system performance at the field level.’ pp. 190–199. (Irrigation Association of Australia: Melbourne, Australia)

Crabb, P (1997). ‘Murray-Darling Basin Resources.’ (Murray Darling Basin Commission: Canberra, ACT)

Donohue, GI , Greene, RSB , Willoughby, P ,  and  Wilson, IB (1984). ‘The effect of waterlogging on flood irrigated perennial ryegrass.’ pp. 85–92. (Australian Society of Soil Science, Riverina Branch: Griffith, NSW)

Douglass, W (2000). ‘ISU4: Improving water use efficiency of border check irrigation on light soil types.’ (Goulburn Murray Water: Tatura, Vic.)

Dowling AJ, Thorburn PJ, Ross PJ, Elliot PJ (1991) Estimation of infiltration and deep drainage in a furrow-irrigated sodic duplex soil. Australian Journal of Soil Research 29, 363–375. open url image1

Dunbabin JS, Hume IH, Ireson ME (1997) Effects of irrigation frequency and transient waterlogging on the production of a perennial ryegrass–white clover pasture. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 37, 165–171.
| Crossref |
open url image1

Dunin FX, Smith CJ, Zegelin SJ, Leuning R, Denmead OT, Poss R (2001) Water balance changes in a crop sequence with lucerne. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 52, 247–261.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Finger, L , Wood, M , Bethune, M ,  and  Wang, Q (2003). ‘Alternative irrigation technologies for perennial pasture production.’ (Target 10, Department of Primary Industries: Albury, NSW)

Gardner WR (1958) Some steady-state solutions of the unsaturated moisture flow equation with application to evaporation from a watertable. Soil Science 85, 228–232. open url image1

Ghassemi, F , Jakeman, AJ ,  and  Nix, HA (1995). ‘Salinisation of land and water resources: Human causes, extent, management and case studies.’ (University of New South Wales Press: Sydney, NSW)

Gilfedder M, Connell LD, Mein RG (2000) Border irrigation field experiment. I: Water balance Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering , 85–91. open url image1

Girwood, G (1984). ‘Measurements of components of the water balance by means of lysimeters.’ (State Rivers and Water Supply Commission of Victoria: Armadale, Australia)

Greenwood KL, McKenzie BM (2001) Grazing effects on soil physical properties and the consequences for pastures: a review. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41, 1231–1250.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Grieve AM, Dunford E, Marston D, Martin RE, Slavich P (1986) Effects of waterlogging and soil salinity on irrigated agriculture in the Murray Valley: a review. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 26, 761–777. open url image1

Heuperman AF (1988) The Tongala groundwater pumping/re-use project: A pilot study for groundwater table control in the Shepparton Region in Northern Victoria. Agricultural Water Management 14, 513–523.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Hillel, D (1980). ‘Introduction to soil physics.’ (Academic Press Limited: London, UK)

Hoffman GJ, Durnford DS (1999) Drainage design for salinity control. ‘Agricultural drainage’. (Eds RW Skaggs, Jv Schilfgaarde, GE Robards) (American Society of Agronomy: Madison, WI)

Holmes JW, Watson CL (1967) The water budget of irrigation pasture land near Murray Bridge, South Australia. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 4, 177–188.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

van Hoorn JW, van Alphen JG (1994) Salinity control. ‘Drainage principles and applications’. (Ed. HP Ritzema) pp. 533–600. (ILRI: Wageningen, The Netherlands)

Hydrotechnology (1995). ‘Hydrogeological review of deep aquifers in the Shepparton irrigation region.’ (Hydrotechnology: Armadale, Vic.)

Kennett-Smith A, Cook PG, Walker GR (1994) Factors affecting groundwater recharge following clearing in the south western Murray Basin. Journal of Hydrology 154, 85–105.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Lyle, CW (1988). ‘The quantification of on-farm options for salinity control. A working paper prepared by DARA for the Project Management Advisory Committee of the Shepparton Irrigation Region Land and Water Management Plan.’ (Rural Water Commission: Tatura, Vic.)

Lyle CW, Chalmers DJ, Wildes RA, Heuperman AF (1986a) Causes of shallow watertables in the irrigation areas of the Shepparton Irrigation Region of Northern Victoria. Journal of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science 52, 23–27. open url image1

Lyle CW, Mehanni AH, Repsys AP (1986b) Leaching rates under a perennial pasture irrigation with saline water. Irrigation Science 7, 277–286.
| Crossref |
open url image1

Lyle, CW ,  and  Wildes, RA (1986). ‘Irrigation of permeable soils with saline groundwater in the Shepparton Region of Victoria.’ pp. 103–115. (Irrigation Association of Australia: Toowoomba, Australia)

Macumber P (1984) The implications of northern Victorian regional hydrogeology for salinity control. ‘Salinity control in northern Victoria’. (Dwyer Leslie Pty Ltd: Melbourne, Australia)

McMahon TA (1984) Irrigation and groundwater accessions. A report prepared for the Salinity Committee of the Victorian Parliament on the Proceedings of a Technical Seminar Salinity Committee, East Melbourne.

MDBMC (1996) Setting the Cap. Report of the Independent Audit Group, November 1996, Murray Darling Basin Ministerial Council, Canberra, ACT.

Mehanni AH, Repsys AP (1986) Perennial pasture production after irrigation with saline groundwater in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 26, 1087–1093. open url image1

Morris, M , Terry, A , Mann, L ,  and  Heuperman, AF (2002). ‘Tongala groundwater pumpinga and reuse project: 20 year review 1980–2000.’ (Department of Natural Resources and Environment: Tatura, Vic.)

Norman CP (1995) Effect of groundwater pump management on reclaiming salinised land in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 35, 215–222. open url image1

Patto, PM (1989). ‘Laser landforming/grading and salinity (a position paper for the state salinity research and investigation working group).’ (Rural Water Commission of Victoria: Kerang, Vic.)

Poulton, DC (1984). ‘Hydrology of an experimental tile drainage system and Kerang, 1975–79.’ (State Rivers and Water Supply Commission of Victoria: Armadale, Vic.)

Prendergast JB (1993) A model of crop yield response to irrigation water salinity: theory, testing and application. Irrigation Science 13, 157–164.
| Crossref |
open url image1

Prendergast JB (1995) Soil water bypass and solute transport under irrigated pasture. Soil Science Society of America Journal 59, 1531–1539. open url image1

Pritchard, K ,  and  Mason, W (1987). ‘Soil water storage and extraction for irrigated maize on a red-brown earth.’ (Australian Society of Agronomy: Melbourne, Vic.)

Rengasamy P, Olsson KA (1991) Sodicity and soil structure. Australian Journal of Soil Research 29, 935–952. open url image1

Rhoades JD (1974) Drainage for salinity control. ‘Drainage for agriculture’. (Ed. JV Schilfgaarde) pp. 433–461. (American Society of Agronomy: Madison, WI)

Skene JKM, Poutsma TJ (1962) Soils and land use in part of the Goulburn Valley, Victoria. Technical Bulletin No. 14, Department of Agriculture, Vic.

Slavich P, Petterson GH, Griffin D (2002) Effects of irrigation water salinity and sodicity on infiltration and lucerne growth over a shallow watertable. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 42, 281–290.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Slavich P, Yang J (1990) Estimation of field scale leaching rates from chloride mass balance and electromagnetic induction measurements. Irrigation Science 11, 7–14.
| Crossref |
open url image1

Tanji, KK ,  and  Kielen, NC (2002). ‘Agricultural drainage water management in arid and semi-arid areas.’ (FAO: Rome)

Tanner CB, Sinclair TR (1983) ‘Limitations to efficient water use in crop production’. (Eds HM Taylor, WR Jordan, TR Sinclair) pp. 1–25. (American Society of Agronomy: Madison, WI)

Taylor AJ, Olsson KA (1987) Effect of gypsum and deep ripping on lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) yields on a red-brown earth under flood and spray irrigation. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 27, 841–849. open url image1

Ward PR, Dunin FX, Micin SF (2001) Water balance of annual and perennial pastures on a duplex soil in a Mediterranean environment. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 52, 203–209.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Watt TA, Haggar RJ (1980) The effect of height of water table on the growth of Holcus lanatus with reference to Lolium perenne. Journal of Applied Ecology 17, 423–430. open url image1

Whitfield D (2001) Water content of a red-brown earth subjected to a range of agronomic vegetation in south-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 52, 587–592.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1