In this issue:

Smart Farms Newsletter Issue 4: November 2010

The Hawkesbury-Nepean River Recovery Program is funded by the Australian Government through the Water for the Future program. Supplementary funding for the WaterSmart Farms project has been provided by the NSW Government through its Climate Change Fund.

NSF Grants for Fertiliser Spreaders

Case Study: Water and Labour Savings

Achieved!

Greenhouse Industry Update

Case Study: Effluent Management System

Upgrade at Camden Park

WaterSmart Farms Case Study:

Water and Labour Savings Achieved!

A mixed use rural property in the Hawkesbury region has completed stage one of a WaterSmart Farms grant funded project and has achieved significant labour savings as well as water savings. The project converted the old travelling irrigators to a solid set irrigation system with a new PVC delivery line and sprinklers spaced at 20m. The new system allows 17mm to be applied to each paddock in under 4 hours - a process that previously took all night and used twice as much water! Property manager Garry Jones is extremely pleased with the new system. “Irrigating is as easy as turning on a tap now, and we now have more time to do other farm operations, instead of spending all day moving travellers,” he said. Mr Jones is also interested in automating the irrigation system in the future, which will allow further labour and water savings.

The Smart Farms projects (NutrientSmart Farms &

WaterSmart Farms) are working with landholders in the

lower Hawkesbury Nepean region to improve nutrient

management and water use efficiency. Fully subsidised

workshops and grants for on-ground works are available

to eligible landholders. Phone the Smart Farms

Information Line - (02) 4588 2118

The new pop-up sprinklers, funded through WaterSmart Farms, in operation.

NSF Grants for Fertiliser Spreaders

In NutrientSmart Farms, three vegetable farmers have

received grants for banded fertiliser spreaders that

allow them to more accurately place nutrients in the

root zone. The technique suits most of their crops and

the annual reduction in fertiliser use is around one-quarter.

Fertigation, where fertiliser is applied via irrigation, is

another technique that allows reduced fertiliser rates

through more targeted application. NSF has also

funded projects that involve fertigation.

If you are planning to

upgrade or purchase

new equipment to

apply fertilisers, you

are welcome to

contact NutrientSmart

Farms to see if we can

provide a grant to

partly fund this work -

please use the contact

details overleaf.

Left: Fertigation units can be funded through NutrientSmart Farms

Photo: Bill Yiasoumi

Photo: Damien Doyle

grant funds approved:

$5,639,076 through WaterSmart Farms & NutrientSmart Farms (GST inc.)

Be Nutrient & Water Smart—it’s worth it!

Smart Farms Contact Details

Smart Farms Administration & Information Officer

Industry & Investment NSW

Locked Bag 4, Richmond NSW 2753

Smart Farms Information Line – 4588 2118

Fax – 4588 2159

Email – rosemary.dopper@industry.nsw.gov.au

Web: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/resources/smartfarms

© State of New South Wales through Department of Industry and Investment (Industry & Investment NSW) 2010. You may copy, distribute and otherwise freely deal with this publication for any purpose, provided that you attribute Industry & Investment NSW as the owner. Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is based on knowledge and understanding at the time of writing (October 2010). However, because of advances in knowledge, users are reminded of the need to ensure that information upon which they rely is up to date and to check currency of the information with the appropriate officer of Industry & Investment NSW or the user’s independent adviser.

NutrientSmart Farms Case Study:

Effluent Management System Upgrade at Camden Park

The 250 dairy cows at Camden Park generate a lot of nutrient, close to the Nepean River. An upgrade to this historic farm’s effluent management system was partly funded by NutrientSmart Farms. The work is complete and will be on display at a field day for dairy farmers on 19 November 2010. For further information please use the contact details below.

River water licence purchase Interested sellers for all or parts of entitlements in the Hawkesbury Nepean can phone Rachel at DECCW

for information - (02) 6229 7144

Greenhouse Industry Update

The greenhouse industry is a key sector that the Smart Farms projects hope to work with, and a well-attended field day in late 2009 indicated a strong desire from industry to become involved. 74 expressions of interest for WaterSmart Farms grant funding were received prior to the closing date, of which 70 have received site visits from Smart Farms officers and 30 have received independent irrigation system assessments so far. Three greenhouse projects have been approved for Smart Farms funding with a total grant value of nearly $100,000. Works include upgrades to irrigation systems and infrastructure for water capture, treatment and reuse. Five greenhouse demonstration farms are also in the final stages of development. The farms will showcase various types of water treatment and recycling systems and will host field days in the coming months.

Greenhouse tomato production.

number of meters installed:

446 through the HN River Recovery Program “Improving

Hawkesbury Nepean Water Balance Accounting” project

Photo: Jeremy Badgery-Parker

Team Leader NSF, Ashley Senn, turning on the new system that triples the area available to irrigate the liquid effluent

(above); testing the newly-installed irrigation system with river water (below)

Photo: John Stanham

Photo: Ashley Senn