Research recently completed by CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences aimed to identify likely changes to irrigation practices, the potential implications for native biodiversity in irrigation landscapes, and strategies to help reduce any negative impacts for biodiversity. The three year project used the irrigation districts of the New South Wales Riverina as a case study. The project was undertaken in collaboration with the Ricegrowers' Association of Australia Inc through their Environmental Champions Program and involved working with Murrumbidgee Irrigation, groups of local farmers and other professionals. It reviewed existing research and undertook new field research in black box woodlands. New research was undertaken specifically in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area referred to as the Midbidgee and the Lower Murrumbidgee Floodplain, referred to as the Lowbidgee

This case study reports on the outcomes of two workshops run in the Mildura district for irrigators and consultants.

The estimation of crop water use is a key input into much of the software which supports irrigation management. The most common method used to derive this estimate is to calculate it from weather data and coefficients specific to crop type and growing

This report describes laboratory work carried out to evaluate and further optimise the chemical and physical formulation of the proposed new ultra-thin film product. Three chemical systems were evaluated--EX1, EX2 and EX3.

The project Long Term Sustainability of Precision Irrigation aims to establish soil management strategies for drip irrigated vineyards in the Barossa Valley by assessing the impact of drip irrigation on soils and establishing the role of soil type and irrigation water in contributing to soil structure issues

Key Findings for NPSI Project CIF5121: 1. Ensuring rainfall flushes salt is the key to sustaining supplementary irrigation with saline groundwater 2. At 24 years of age, salt excluding rootstocks have equal or better yield than own rooted vines and half the fruit chloride 3. Soil water extractors give fast and cheap guidance on vineyard salinity status

The National Program for Sustainable Irrigation was a unique collaboration as it involved governments, irrigators, water providers and researchers from across Australia. It covered every aspect of irrigation from dam management and water delivery, through on-farm management, to sustainable landscape environmental measures

The project was looking to achieve this through the development of a new system of soil preparation and management for irrigated orchards, row crops and pastures, enabling large inputs of stable soil organic matter, through incorporation of stable soil sheaths (rhizosheaths) formed on ryegrass roots. The purpose being to increase the water use efficiency and productivity of irrigated crops.r

A February 1993 meeting of the Chief Executives from the Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation (LWRRCD), Rural Water Corporation of Victoria, NSW Department of Water Resources and Queensland Department of Primary Industries agreed to financially support the national program for irrigation R&D for three years.

This case study looks at improving water use efficiency and earlier flavour ripeness in the vineyard.