Study shows irrigators accept and adopt R&D to suit needs

Irrigators will introduce new technologies but the pace of this depends on personal circumstances, including finances, their business development aspirations and the need to test and adapt to suit operations.

This is a finding from case studies undertaken in Merbein, Red Cliffs and Robinvale, funded by the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment and the Mallee Catchment Management Authority. The exercise covers a range of enterprises and, apart from the contributions from irrigators to add to the pool of knowledge, includes an analysis of what contributes to change. 

Irrigators will introduce new technologies but the pace of this depends on personal circumstances, including finances, their business development aspirations and the need to test and adapt to suit operations.

This is a finding from case studies undertaken in Merbein, Red Cliffs and Robinvale, funded by the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment and the Mallee Catchment Management Authority. The exercise covers a range of enterprises and, apart from the contributions from irrigators to add to the pool of knowledge, includes an analysis of what contributes to change.

Project members Maxine Schache, Merryl Whyte and Linda Pollock from the Victorian Department of Primary Industries have compiled information which provides a clearer picture of what Victorian Mallee irrigation looks like. Importantly the personal comments made by irrigators combined with irrigation and production records highlight some realities about irrigated horticulture. These include the long term effects of irrigation policies and water allocation cuts, plus the importance of merging practical local knowledge with research findings.

Maxine Schache believes the project answers the question that governments often ask and this is, “Is our share of R&D investment getting results?”

“The answer is ‘yes’ and this is demonstrated by the irrigators in our case studies, who are change makers,” she said. “But the project also demonstrates that adoption of the results of R&D investments is not always fast, for various reasons, and often when irrigators have put time into adapting technologies and knowledge to suit their circumstances the practical outcomes can be better than first expected.”

Common among irrigators who participated in the project is a business approach with decisions driven by knowledge of their soils, water requirements and the key factors that drive water use efficiency.

One of the participants, Graham Nice, who grows tablegrapes and winegrapes at Red Cliffs, illustrates the critical link between data and decisions. He has EnviroSCAN moisture monitoring technology installed to assist with timing of applications and determination of amounts of water applied.

He sees water use efficiency as not being about simply cutting back on what is applied but using water appropriately.

“Productivity of quality grapes from each megalitre of water, and what this means in returns, is what matters,” he said. “With the controls we have from soil moisture scanners we get hardly any drainage water, so there is less waste and more of our inputs going into production.”

His balance of 28 hectares of tablegrapes and 35 hectares of winegrapes may also reflect the business approach as it has an element of risk management.
While technology is adopted, the most valued asset is the region itself. The environment, he says, suits production of grapes under irrigation.

caption top: From left, Linda Pollock, Meryl Whyte and Maxine Schache from the project team.
caption right: Graham Nice.