This project provided for the extension of the Vegetable Irrigation Scheduling System (VISS). The VISS increases irrigation water use efficiency by advising irrigation managers of the specific irrigation needs of crops by accounting for plant growth factor, soil type and local evaporation rates. As a result of the project, VISS has been adopted by managers responsible for an estimated 20% of the water used by the vegetable industry on the Swan Coastal Plain. The knowledge about irrigation management of a much broader range of growers has also improved through the project. Increased water use efficiency is important to securing the ongoing viability of the vegetable industry as it is considered a key limiting resource.

The project has also contributed to the more sustainable management of the ground water resource because it has the potential to reduce the incidence of over-watering. Decreased over-watering is associated with reduced leaching of water and nutrients back to the aquifer. Grower feedback consistently indicates that their preferred extension mechanism is face-to- face contact. This project provided for a Field Extension Officer to provide information about the technology and the ongoing support required to assist adoption. A series of grower workshops were held across the main growing regions to improve grower knowledge of irrigation management with a focus on explaining the VISS. The Field Extension Officer held subsequent one-on-one meetings with growers on their properties to further explain the technology and assist with implementation. Follow-up meetings with growers adopting the VISS were held to further bed-down implementation. A range of written materials were also developed for publication in the WA Grower magazine which is distributed to every vegetable grower in Western Australia.

Extension of new technology with growers is a challenging process, particularly when it seeks to replace generations of traditional practice. Information transfer about implementing best practice between growers themselves is often poor. However, the experience of this project was that developing good stories about existing users to be used by an independent information source provided a useful basis for fostering further uptake, if those growers were willing to expose their results to the broader growing community.

There is still considerable work to be done in order to institute VISS as standard growing practice. However, the Western Australian vegetable industry has invested in achieving this beyond the scope of this project. A Field Extension Officer has been retained to continue extension efforts and Good Practice Demonstration sites on grower properties across all major Western Australian growing regions have been instituted. Amongst demonstration of other leading edge research and development outputs, these projects also incorporate demonstration of VISS.