Gwydir Valley demonstration of the application of the latest digital technologies for precise automated irrigation

Automation of irrigation in the Australian cotton industry has the potential to improve water productivity, whilst addressing challenges of optimising irrigation and managing labour resourcing. This project will provide growers with commercially relevant information about how to best utilise irrigation monitoring tools and decision support systems to optimise surface irrigation. It will also provide advice on the installation and management of automated and autonomous irrigation systems. Whilst the focus is on surface irrigation systems project activities will leverage existing and future work at the Keytah Systems comparison site to provide information on pressurised systems such as overhead lateral move systems and subsurface drip systems. The project will improve the prototypes and will provide growers with an improved understanding of the merits of the latest digital technologies for precise automated irrigation.