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Making irrigation water go further
As new technology improves the way dairy farmers irrigate, the demand on water resources nationally and regionally also continues to grow, making water efficient practices more relevant than ever.
Whatever the chosen system, from centre pivots to border dyke and rotary boom, it should maximise the amount of dry matter grown while using as little water as possible.
The South Island contains around 80 percent of the total irrigated land in New Zealand, with Canterbury and North Otago making up the majority of that area.
To hear about how efficient irrigation is being achieved, check out the videos below.
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David Croft - Farm Owner, Amuri Basin |
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| Scott Searle – Lower Order Sharemilker, Rakaia Canterbury sharemilker Scott Searle is using half as much water but growing more grass by running his roto-rainer travelling irrigators at double speed. As well as tweaking the way his roto-rainers run, Scott has gone one step further with Aquaflex soil moisture monitoring. |
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Mark Slee – Farm Owner, Ashburton
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| Tim O’Sullivan – Irrigation Consultant/Family Farmer, Pleasant Point Cuts to the supply of irrigation water are no longer a problem on Tim O’Sullivan’s family’s farm, thanks to a storage pond that holds enough water for up to six weeks of irrigation.The $1.4 million storage pond is gravity fed from the river. It’s filled when river flows are high, so when the summer dry comes and the supply is shut off, the stored water is used for irrigation |
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| Graham Robertson – Equity Partner, Ashburton Semi-retired Mid-Canterbury farmer Graham Robertson has grown up with irrigation, putting water from the RDR to work. The third generation Canterbury Plains farmer started on a mixed cropping farm – some sheep, a few cows and some crops. Ten years ago they diversified into dairying and that business has grown over the past decade. |
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| Leighton Parker – DairyNZ Consulting Officer, Canterbury As a consulting officer, Leighton work across the Canterbury region. Part of his role includes working with dairy farmers to achieve more sustainable practices, such as improving water use efficiency, while taking land and making it more economic. |
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| Andrew Curtis – IrrigationNZ CEO IrrigationNZ is the advocacy and leadership group for irrigation, along with providing information on technical innovation. Andrew Curtis leads the organisation, which helps farmers make the most of their water. |
