Irrigation practices on north-east Victorian dairy farms: a survey
D. J. Watson A C and G. Drysdale BA Department of Primary Industries, RMB 1145, Rutherglen, Vic. 3685, Australia.
B Department of Primary Industries, 1 McKoy Street, Wodonga, Vic. 3690, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: dennis.watson@dpi.vic.gov.au
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45(12) 1539-1549 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA03231
Submitted: 16 November 2003 Accepted: 5 November 2004 Published: 19 January 2006
Abstract
The north-east region of Victoria is an important water-harvesting catchment for gravity-fed irrigators downstream of Lake Mulwala. Dairy farmers are significant users of irrigation water in north-east Victoria but little was known about their irrigation practices and attitudes. A survey undertaken in 2000 collected data on irrigation practices and attitudes from 92% of the irrigating dairy farmers in the region. It found diversity in many aspects of irrigation amongst the region’s irrigated dairy farms, ranging from the proportion of the farm irrigated to the irrigation system used, and identified areas where improvements to irrigation practices could be made. More than 8 different irrigation systems were used in the region, and flood irrigation was the most commonly used. However, a large proportion (37%) of flood irrigators were contemplating changing to spray irrigation, mostly to long lateral hand move sprinkler irrigation, in an effort to improve water use efficiency. More than 50% of respondents did not meter irrigation water use, and 83% pumped water directly from rivers or creeks, with dams and dragline holes the next most common sources. Irrigation scheduling (when to start irrigating and the frequency of irrigation thereafter) and the amount of water to apply were generally based on knowledge and experience rather than on soil moisture monitoring equipment or use of evaporation rates. Most survey respondents recognised that their irrigation practices could improve and said that they would be interested in information to help them make more informed decisions about irrigation practices.
Additional keywords: irrigation systems, on-farm change, pasture.
Acknowledgments
We thank Daphne Cohen for her input into the design of the survey and the interviewing team for their late night workload. We also thank Angela Avery, Tim Clune, Kristy Howard and Liz Jacobsen for providing valuable comments on the manuscript and John Reynolds for his biometric advice. The authors particularly thank the survey respondents for their time and enthusiasm while completing the survey. We gratefully acknowledge financial assistance from the Dairy Research and Development Corporation, Murray Dairy and the Department of Primary Industries, Victoria.
Armstrong DP,
Knee JE,
Doyle PT,
Pritchard KE, Gyles OA
(2000) Water-use efficiency on irrigated dairy farms in northern Victoria and southern New South Wales. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 40, 643–653.
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