Smarter Irrigation 2: What is my yield gap? Maximising water productivity

Irrigation underpins the Australian dairy industry, with dairy the second largest irrigation water user behind cotton. Reduced water availability because of changes to water policy and increased climate variability is adversely impacting farm profit. This project will demonstrate and trial dairy irrigation technologies and management strategies including new technologies on commercial farms across Australia. Working with farmers, researchers and agronomists the project has established 10 farmer led ‘optimised irrigation sites’ on dairy farms in South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. Each site reference group is tailoring the technologies demonstrated to local interests, with the focus being on the ‘yield gap’. The yield that could be achieved if the system is ‘optimised’.