Profiting from precision irrigation

New Zealand, a country generally known for its ample annual rainfall and phenomenal natural crop growth, is an unlikely origin for a precision irrigation development that's gaining traction globally. However, light soils and sporadic precipitation in some regions, plus readily available water for irrigation, mean close to 800,000 ha or 6.5% of the country's farmland is artificially watered.

Originally, much of that was with flood irrigation using border-dykes but, in the drive for water use efficiency and environmental protection, spray irrigation has become the norm, mostly with centre-pivots.

Controllers on every sprinkler

An increasing number of centre-pivots are being fitted with controllers on every sprinkler that tailor the amount of irrigation applied on the move according to crop type, growth stage, soil hydrology, topography, weather and environmental risk. Farmers using it report improved yields and returns with reduced run-off and other benefits.

They include Peter and Sandra Mitchell, cropping farmers from near Oamaru, in New Zealand's South Island, who fitted VRI (Variable Rate Irrigation) on a 500 m pivot covering 85 ha in 2013. "We were growing all sorts of crops under it, with different soil-types, north and south facing slopes and flats and a spring-fed waterway: there was so much variability it was perfect for it," recalls Peter Mitchell.

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 Photo: Lindsay Corporation

Source: Future Farming