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