Diagnostic Agronomy WorkshopFlood Irrigation – the Future

Russell FordManager – 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

0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 7 0 8 0 9 00

1 0

2 0

3 0

4 0

0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 7 0 8 0 9 00

1 0

2 0

3 0

4 0

0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 6 0 7 0 8 0 9 00

1 0

2 0

3 0

4 0

5 0

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