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

2. Rice Production Area

6. 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

7. Traditional ‘natural’ contour basins

8. Lasered contour basins

9. Lasered contour, side-ditch delivery

10. Kooloos v-bay

11. Level basin – beds/furrows

12. From syphons to bankless

13. Conversion from syphons to bankless

14. System overview

16. Bankless channel

20. Flow velocity through 900 mm MIL stop
Bay 1 into Bay ML/day
mean velocity = m/s
avg mid-stream velocity = m/s
Bay 2 into Bay 3 – 8.6 ML/day
mean velocity = m/s
avg mid-stream velocity = m/s
Bay 3 into Bay 4 – 24.7 ML/day
mean velocity = m/s
avg mid-stream velocity = m/s