Smarter irrigation for profit - increasing farm profit through efficient use of irrigation input to dairy pastures
Presentation
Paper/Presentation Title | Smarter irrigation for profit - increasing farm profit through efficient use of irrigation input to dairy pastures |
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Presentation Type | Presentation |
Authors | Hills, James (Author), McCarthy, Alison (Author), Foley, Joseph (Author) and McLaren, David (Author) |
Journal or Proceedings Title | Proceedings of the 7th Australiasian Dairy Science Symposium |
Year | 2016 |
Place of Publication | Australia |
Web Address (URL) of Paper | http://www.adssymposium.com.au/inewsfiles/Abstract_Book.pdf |
Conference/Event | 7th Australian Dairy Science Symposium (2016) |
Event Details | 7th Australian Dairy Science Symposium (2016) Event Date 16 to end of 18 Nov 2016 Event Location Sydney, Australia |
Abstract | The dairy industry is the second largest user of irrigation water in Australia. Increasing competition, climate variability and costs of irrigation water, along with reduced water availability are driving farmers to adopt innovative practises and technologies that utilise water as efficiently as possible. The average water usage of Australian dairy farms is 6.3ML/ha, with each ML generating a value of approximately $430. Over 75 percent of the dairy farms in Australia are pasture-based systems. In spite of this fact, and the importance of pasture utilisation in pasture-based dairy systems, pasture utilisation across the industry has remained at 50-60 percent of what is potentially possible. Effective management of the spatial and temporal variability in water demand is viewed as the key to optimising pasture production. Automated precision irrigation is now possible with the deployment of cheap sensors, crop models, and irrigation control systems bundled in appropriate built-in technology. This significant step change in irrigation system capability offers an opportunity for a significant improvement in irrigation performance for all irrigators. This paper provides an overview of how detailed monitoring of five intensively managed irrigated dairy farms in Tasmania is being used to review and enhance industry performance benchmarks. It is aimed to use the outcomes of this work to increase the adoption of enabling practices and new technologies for pressurised irrigation systems in pasture based dairy systems. |
Keywords | Dairy industry; irrigation; pastures; profit |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 300206. Agricultural spatial analysis and modelling |
400799. Control engineering, mechatronics and robotics not elsewhere classified | |
300403. Agronomy | |
Byline Affiliations | University of Tasmania |
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture | |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q3wv7/smarter-irrigation-for-profit-increasing-farm-profit-through-efficient-use-of-irrigation-input-to-dairy-pastures
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