Diagnostic Agronomy Workshop Flood Irrigation – the Future Russell Ford Manager – Rice Research Australia

Rice Production Area

Improving operational efficiency and Water Use Efficiency Hi manual input for irrigation control – telemetry Slow water on/water off timings Weakness of traditional systems = perimeter banks all turning must be done within 3-5 ha basins Problems Limits ability to adopt precision ag systems Compaction of “sensitive” soils (high clay, sodic) Weed seed reserve on banks

Traditional ‘natural’ contour basins

Lasered contour basins

Lasered contour, side-ditch delivery

Kooloos v-bay

Level basin – beds/furrows

From syphons to bankless

Conversion from syphons to bankless

System overview

Bankless channel

Flow velocity through 900 mm MIL stop Bay 1 into Bay 2 - 14.4 ML/day mean velocity = 0.402 m/s avg mid-stream velocity = 0.510 m/s Bay 2 into Bay 3 – 8.6 ML/day mean velocity = 0..252 m/s avg mid-stream velocity = 0.314 m/s Bay 3 into Bay 4 – 24.7 ML/day mean velocity = 0..599 m/s avg mid-stream velocity = 0.683 m/s