ABOVE AND INSET : Recent participants in the ABA ' s irrigation management workshops got hands-on training on a range of topics including soil water principles , drip system monitoring and maintenance and irrigation scheduling . Orchard visits allowed participants to put their knowledge to the test in soil pits and using existing irrigation systems .
Top tips for irrigation efficiency
Know your soils : To irrigate efficiently it is essential to understand the variation across the orchard and water-holding capacity of each soil type . Knowing how much water soils can hold , and have readily available to the crop , makes irrigation planning easier and helps avoid overwatering . Know your system application rate : To get the most out of your irrigation system it is essential to understand your system application rate . This includes accurately calculating Mean Application Rate ( MAR ), or the rate at which water is applied to the soil . Create an even system application : For efficient irrigation , water needs to be applied evenly , considering both instantaneous application ( drip emission ) and system drainage . Dripper performance should be
monitored regularly by measuring operating pressure and emitter discharge . Measurements should be taken at the extremities of the irrigation system , on elevations and depressions , and in areas of poor crop health . Drip system drainage will be evident in low lying areas as water pools after the water is turned off , something to look out for . Maintain this even application through flushing and sanitation : It is important to maintain your drip irrigation system as poor maintenance can lead to emitter blockages which may be difficult to detect , and ultimately lead to poor uniformity which affects crop health . Use scheduling tools to monitor irrigation : Irrigation scheduling measures water use and availability and helps determine how much and how often to apply water . To avoid over or under-irrigating , it is important to know how much water is available to the plant , and how readily it is used . There are a range of commercially available monitoring tools that measure plant use , soil moisture and tree stress .
Future training opportunities
The feedback from workshop participants , with a range of experience in irrigation , was positive and highlighted the need for more irrigation training in the future . The insights provided by this year ’ s participants will be used to tailor future irrigation training . If you are interested in participating , please register by emailing
communication @ australianalmonds . com . au Evaluate your irrigation system using the
Almond Drip Irrigation Evaluation Tool developed by SARDI .
industry . australianalmonds . com . au
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