Essential elements of high-performance surface irrigation

Tony Oakes, Rubicon WaterApril 9 2014

Surface Irrigation

DependantBenefits

Unimproved surface irrigation

Improved surface irrigation

On-farm Modernisation Alternatives

High-performance surface irrigation is achieving application efficiencies close to that of sprinkler and micro irrigation with considerably less investment and lower carbon foot print

System ApplicationEfficiency

Water applied (ML/ha)

Water savings (ML/ha)

Increase in energy use(MJ/ha)

Unimproved surface irrigation

55% 7.3 - 0

Sprinkler 90% 4.4 2.9 7300

Micro 95% 4.2 3.1 6300

High-performance surface irrigation

85% 4.7 2.6 0

Source: Khatri & Smith, University of Southern Queensland

Application Efficiency

UnderIrrigation

OverIrrigation

Cut-off PointApp

licat

ion

Effi

cien

cy

Varies for each irrigation

Time

50 – 70%

Unimproved surface irrigation

Application Efficiency

UnderIrrigation

OverIrrigation

Cut-off PointApp

licat

ion

Effi

cien

cy

Varies for each irrigation

Time

85 – 90%

50 – 70%

High-performance surface irrigation

Unimproved surface irrigation

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Unimproved Surface Irrigation

Example: low flow – 8 megs per day

Low Crop Water Use Efficiency

Multiple days of reduced productivity due to waterlogged

conditions

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Example: high flow – 20 to 22 megs per day

High Crop Water Use Efficiency

Full productive use of water. No evidence of waterlogged

conditions

High-performance surface irrigation

Key Message

Automation is an essential element of high-performance surface irrigation

Automation ensures on-farm development programs achieve increased application efficiencies

Integrated system of automation and crop management achieves increased productivity using less water

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FarmConnect® FarmConnect is a single platform to deliver the water saving for High-performance surface irrigation via:

control and automation (using iBee radios and Rubicon Actuation and valves),

irrigation system monitoring (pressure, flow, water level, remote pump)

auto detection for cut-off times (using FloodTech) and

sensing plant water demand for irrigation commencement (using soil moisture probes).

FarmConnect® GatewayFast, reliable communications

CellularNetwork

Web based viewing

FarmConnect server

Agronomic analysis

FarmConnect® Software

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FarmConnect® System

CellularNetwork

Internet PPPconnection

FarmConnect Server

Web based viewing

Agronomic analysis

FarmConnectGateway

Multi sensorprobes

BladeValveBayDrive

FarmConnect®

Scheduling and control software

Integrated solution to automate irrigation

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FarmConnect® Automation Farm Plan

FarmConnect® NodesIntegrated solution for remote wireless communicating using telemetry devices

FarmConnect Nodes provides a sensor and actuator interface to the FarmConnect ® system

Nodes self-mesh and self-manage to form a network with optimal data routing with 1 km (0.6 mile) range

GPS receiver provides real-time coordinate information for location-tagging of data

ZigBee International standard Open platform Utilised by Victorian Government for smart metering for

water, gas and energy

FarmConnect®Integrated solution to automate irrigation programs

Setup irrigation program select date and start

time select bay sequence determine bay

runtime auto calculate total

runtime for program

Visually displays bay sequence with bar chart

Spatially displays bay sequence with map

Dispatch program to each radio Program ready to

execute unless updatedEvent-based automation

FarmConnect®Integrated solution to monitor irrigation programs

Monitor irrigation program in progress See which bays have

completed irrigation identify current bay still

irrigating determine remaining

runtime for current bay

Visually displays bay outlet status: open (currently

irrigating) closed stopped (if not

completed)

FarmConnect®Integrated solution to manage devices

Manage each bay outlet remotely via mobile deveice: open closed Stopped

Displays bay outlet status

Displays current preset – instruction to open and closed at a certain time and date

Show status of preset: active or expired

BayDrive™Wireless control of bay outlets

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BayDrive™

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BayDrive™Bay outlet actuation system with furrow irrigation

BladeValve™Pipe & riser valve actuation system

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BladeValve™

Smart Meter Gateway

Giving the farmer access to operational data from their meter

Providing connectivity between TCC metering device and Rubicon’s FarmConnect on-farm control system

Full isolation from meter function

No impact on TCC operation (both local and host) or TCC communication system

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Smart Meter GatewayAccumulated flow rate is recorded per bay to: determine volume delivered per irrigation event determine volume delivered per season determine volume applied per crop variety

Link water applied to productivity levels: record productivity (kg or tn) per megalitre understand water use efficiency on the farm generate indexes for comparison within farm,

season to season or between farms

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Smart Meter GatewayFlow reading used by FarmConnect to achieve high irrigation application efficiencies Current flow rate Accumulated flow rate Determination of time to cut-off

Benchmark each irrigation event understanding volume applied per bay Accumulate multiple irrigation events for volume applied per season Generate indexes for comparison within farm, season to season or between farms

This is expressed as: irrigation water use index (IWUI) – irrigation only or gross production water use index (GPWUI) – all water use from irrigation, rain & soil

stored

Water order start and stop events used to sequence on-farm automation program

Irrigation Water Use Index For example with high-performance surface irrigation for maize (dry matter) for a dairy farm, the Irrigation Water Use Index (IWUI) was:

3.97 ton per megalitre– 27tn per hectare (dry matter – Maize) with 6.8megs per hectare

Compared to traditional surface irrigation for neighbouring dairy farms:

1.88 ton per megalitre– 16tn per hectare (dry matter – Maize) with 8.5megs per hectare

The capability of high-performance surface irrigation can double the production with the same volume of water and cropped area orProduce the same level of production with half the water and cropped area

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FloodTech™ Sensor – Bay Cut-Off The precise time to stop the flow onto the

bay from the bay outlet or riser valve is dynamic as seasonal changes in ground cover or a different soil moisture content changes the runtime

Delivers high-performance surface irrigation Adds science to the decision to determine

the time to shut the bay outlet to avoid tail water losses

Essential requirement to ensure High Flow achieves high water application efficiency

Backed up with alarms to notify operator if exceptions occur

Irrigation is completed without tail water losses incurred

Determination of time to cut-off

FloodTech sensorlocation

Bayoutlet

Cut-offpoint

Flow = Q

Waterfront

End ofbay

di

ds

Point ofFull Depth

tctbtat=0

TIME

Flow rate – measured at Smart Meter GatewayAdvance time and flow depths – measured by FloodTech sensors a location down the bayBay geometry – length, width, slopeSoil moisture deficit – from moisture probe or ET estimates

Application EfficiencyPossible efficiency range

UnderIrrigation

OverIrrigation

Cut-off Point

App

licat

ion

Effi

cien

cy

Varies for each irrigationTime

85 – 90%

Crop Water Use EfficiencyUnderstanding irrigation management is a key aspect to implementing Improved Surface Irrigation - the result is higher water use efficiency using less water to grow more crop.

delay the timing of the next irrigation without reducing crop productivity

allow consumptive use of available water at all levels of the root zone while extending the irrigation interval providing a soil profile with increased capacity to accept the next irrigation applied and reduce waterlogging

knowledge of the soil moisture deficit and confidence of knowing the number of days till next irrigation event without being to late or too early

FarmConnect®

Summed Graph daily water use rate irrigation effectiveness when to irrigate how much to irrigate establish upper & lower limits

Separate Layer Graph through drainage & infiltration rates where most root activity occurs soil moisture stress at each layer

Integrated solution to determine demand management

Irrigation Management Concepts

FarmConnect®

Prediction of next irrigation

A line extrapolated from the trend of current crop water use, estimating future soil moisture decline

The trend line automatically updates providing the latest trend

Determine when your next irrigation is due (when the trend line intersects the refill point)

Integrated solution to determine demand management

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FarmConnect®Integrated solution to determine demand management

Device list of soil moisture sites with prediction of next irrigation Fuel gauge to show range of soil moisture and current statusQuick view of soil moisture graphs on mobile device or tablet (iPhone or Android)

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FarmConnect®Integrated solution to determine effective rainfall in soil profile

Overlay rainfall events with the data from the soil moisture probe Analyse how effective rainfall was within the soil profile

Crop Water Use EfficiencyThe following case study highlights the transition from a current schedule to an actual schedule after suggestions were identified for improvement.

The result will be less number of irrigations, less volume of water applied and increased crop productivity

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Case Study - Historic Schedule

Soil moisture probe captures irrigation events and daily crop water use Records data for future interpretation

Case Study – Opportunities for improvement

Multiple days of reduced

productivity due to

waterlogged conditions

Case Study – Opportunities for improvement

Strong daily water use -

soil moisture is still available -

no stress evident at this

deficit

Case Study - Suggested Schedule

Delay irrigation and monitor that continued soil moisture is still available – watching for evidence of any reduction in

daily water use

Strong daily water use -

soil moisture is still available -

no stress evident at this

deficit

Delay irrigation compared to previous irrigations and monitor that continued soil moisture is still available – watching for evidence of any reduction in daily water use

Ensure that the next irrigation is not too early

Delay irrigation and monitor that continued soil moisture is still available – watching for evidence of any reduction in

daily water use

Strong daily water use -

soil moisture is still available -

no stress evident at this

deficit

Case Study - Suggested Schedule

Multiple days of reduced

productivity due to

waterlogged conditions

Delay irrigation compared to previous irrigations and monitor that continued soil moisture is still available – watching for evidence of any reduction in daily water use

Ensure that the next irrigation is not too early

Case Study - Actual Schedule

Confirmed the delay in the two Irrigations showed no

evidence of any reduction in daily water use

Since the recommendation date, the manager has delayed irrigations to maximise water use in the soil profile without stress or reduction in productivityThe crop has benefited with being able to harvest rainfall within the profile for productive water use

Rainfall event occurred and a

decision to further delay irrigation was

made with confidence

Advised the manager to delay Irrigation and

monitor that continued soil moisture is still

available – watching for evidence of any

reduction in daily water use

Longer irrigation intervalsShort irrigation

intervals

Changed practiceOriginal practice

Case Study - Actual Schedule

Since the recommendation date, the crop has accessed available moisture at lower depths within the soil profile compared to before recommendationThis maximises water use efficiency, reduces waterlogging as profile is fully utilised before refilling

Advised the manager to

delay Irrigation and monitor that

continued soil moisture is still

available – watching for

evidence of any reduction in daily

water use Original practice Changed practice

Benefits for Crop ManagementSoil moisture monitoring records events as they happen - in real time – and presents them in an understandable format

Predictive tool (pre-planning) Know the effectiveness of rainfall Estimations of yield Auditing of season performance Site specific measurement can be

integrated with spatial data from other precision ag technologies (imaging, surveying etc)

Learn how the crop responds in the ‘plant – soil – climate’ matrix

Aggregation of data (region-wide) can help agronomists understand district trends (influence on strategy)

Summary

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Automation is an essential element of High-Performance Surface Irrigation, ensuring the On-Farm development programs achieve increased application efficiencies by using an integrated system of Automation and Crop Management to achieve increased productivity using less water.

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Thank you