Limited water decision support

Water is the limiting factor in Australian cotton systems. Uncertain water availability has increased interest in partial irrigation & dryland production systems to make the most of available irrigation water or rainfall. Under dryland systems it is essential to employ practices that maximise infiltration & storage of rainfall in the soil profile. In partial irrigation, it is crucial to apply water strategically to the critical periods for crop development. Planting decisions need to balance the risks associated with unpredictable weather patterns with opportunities to intercept, capture & use rainfall & crop water requirements. Cotton growers use a range of tactics to maximise water productivity (bales/ML) & profitability (gross margin/ML or gross margin/mm in these systems. This adds to the complexity of defining best practice for limited water scenarios & adoption. This project will be delivered by NSW DPI & will: 1.       Conduct a literature review into what farm manage practices have been investigated to improve water productivity in partially irrigated cotton systems, where they are used & what are the gaps in knowledge 2.     Identify a range of limited water system scenarios & apply social research to compare the on ground practice to findings from the literature review. Use social research to investigate & better understand the key barriers to adoption. 3.     Develop case studies of innovative practices used by cotton growers to maximise productive & profitable water use in limited water or partial irrigation scenarios. This will include bales/ML & gross margin/ML measures. 4.     Develop a decision tree or matrix to help demonstrate the interrelationship of actions, decisions & management strategies on water productivity & profitability. This decision tree is intended to provide a foundation to guide a range of future recommendations that reflect the complex nature of cotton production systems & can most readily be adopted. SEE FRP FOR FULL SUMMARY