Farming systems and production management

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Research outcomes: Growers and harvesters benefit from the ongoing research in productivity improvement, production management and agronomical techniques. Developed technologies and management practices that enhance productivity and demonstrate a high rate of return on investment.

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    Increased profitability and water use efficiency through best use of limited water under supplementary irrigation : SRDC Final report CSE001
    (SRDC, 2005) Inman-Bamber, NG
    The objectives of this project towards increased profitability and water use efficiency was to:
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    Irrigation risk management strategies to reduce water use and maximize profitability; a paradigm shift in performance to $ per unit of water : Final report CTA038
    (SRDC, 2003) Inman-Bamber, NG
    The Australian sugar industry is predisposed to maximize the benefits of irrigation because of its geographic and climatic location. However mistakes of older irrigation schemes elsewhere in Australia, need to be avoided. Performance criteria such as $ produced per unit of water used 'which have the long term aim of very closely matching plant water use with water applied, will be the single most important factor ensuring longevity of irrigation areas' (Meyer, 1997). Matching plant water use and irrigation, requires knowledge of climatic demand for water, soil water supply, and crop response to water deficits.
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    Implementation of irrigation practices for profitable resource efficient sugarcane production in the Ord : Final report CSE007
    (SRDC, 2006) Inman-Bamber, NG
    Sugarcane is currently the major crop in the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) in terms of area, occupying approximately 4000 hectares or a third of the irrigable area. It is also possible that further expansion could occur soon within the Ord Stage 2 area. The new industry is continuing to develop guidelines for and to initiate implementation of best management practice, to ensure the development of a profitable and sustainable industry. This project contributed to the provision of an extension service which is critical in assisting the industry in this development. Irrigation water application in excess of 30 ML ha-1 yr-1 was common commercial practice when sugarcane production commenced in 1995. High irrigation application not only impacted on profitability but also contributed to rising water tables and land degradation. Consequently this project aimed to build capacity in the community to save water and labour and to reduce rising water tables.
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    Efficient use of water resources in sugar production; optimising the use of limited water under supplementary irrigation
    (2000) Inman-Bamber, NG; Robertson, MJ; Muchow, RC; Wood, AW; Wegener, MK; Spillman, MF
    About 60% of sugar produced in Australia depends on irrigation. In some regions, production would be impossible without irrigation; in others, irrigation is used to supplement rainfall. It can improve production and reduce risks in the more variable rainfall environments. The whole subject of supplementary irrigation has taken on a new focus in recent years as termsof- trade for cane growers continue to deteriorate, and as pressure mounts for more efficient management of a scarce national resource. Best practice with limited water, however, depends on complex biophysical and economic factors as well as sensitive off-site impacts. From a biophysical point of view, questions arise as to the probability of achieving the desired irrigation responses in the various regions and seasons, and the extent to which this is affected by crop water requirements at various stages and by variety and soil type. From a management point of view, the questions concern source of the water, the amounts available, and the best crop type and block on which to apply it. Finally, from an economic point of view, the questions concern the interactions between the above factors and the size of the investment required, the likely price of cane, and the probability of achieving sustained profitability from the investment during its lifetime. The aim of this project, therefore, was to address this complexity by developing and applying a generic methodology for assessing the payoffs of supplementary irrigation, taking account of the above factors.
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    Best practice irrigation management to maximise profitability and ensure sustainability in the Ord sugar industry : SRDC Final report CSR22
    (2003) Wood, AW; Engelke, JM; Sherrard, JH; Plunkett, GM; Triglone, T; Bakker, DM; Horan, HL; Muchow, RC; Inman-Bamber, G
    The Ord Sugar industry was established in 1995 with the commissioning of a sugar mill and the first full season of commercial production was in 1996. It is now a major industry in Stage 1 of the Ord Irrigation Area, currently occupying over 4000 hectares and producing around 60,000 tonnes of raw sugar annually for export. The climatic conditions in the Ord impose a high water requirement for sugarcane crops. Growers face a considerable challenge in meeting that requirement whilst maximising their profitability and minimising drainage losses and potential impacts on the environment. Groundwater levels have risen substantially in the 30 years since the start of irrigation in the Ord. Consequently the development of appropriate irrigation practices for sugarcane is a key requirement in the management of rising water tables and in the sustainability of Ord sugarcane production. The first step in developing best practice irrigation management was to gain a better understanding of the range of irrigation practices being used by the industry at the beginning of the project. A survey conducted to benchmark irrigation practices used on the 1995/96 sugarcane crop indicated very high rates of annual water application, making the development of irrigation practices that maximise profitability and minimise groundwater accessions a key priority for the Ord sugar industry.
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    Quantifying the socio-economic impacts of harvesting residue retention systems : SRDC Final report BSS173
    (2002) Small, FG
    BSS173: 'Quantifying the socio-economic impacts of harvesting residue retention systems' is a project jointly funded by the Sugar Research and Development Corporation and Land and Water Australia (formally Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation) from 1996 to 2002.The project was initially established after concerns that regulations on burning cane overseas would be introduced in Australia, and the socio-economic implications would not be known. There are a number of issues associated with burning of cane both before and after harvest. These include health concerns, pollution, nuisance and cleaning issues.The effect of the imposition of burning restrictions on growers was also a major concern, particularly with respect to furrow irrigation. Field trials were carried out in the Proserpine district to determine the effect of trash on furrow irrigation and to develop management methods to overcome any difficulties. These trials were used in conjunction with APSIM, an agricultural production simulator, and SIRMOD, a surface irrigation model, to determine optimal furrow irrigation under a number of situations.
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    Statewide adoption of best irrigation practices for supplementary and full irrigation districts : SRDC Final report BS183S
    (2000) Robertson, LN; Giblin-Davis, RM; Oehlschlager, AC; Gries, R
    Project BS183S has researched and identified a number of means by which on-farm water use efficiency may be improved. These include the use of irrigation scheduling devices, improved furrow irrigation design and management, and use of modelling tools by local extension staff.Field trials demonstrated that deep drainage losses associated with furrow irrigation can be reduced by the use of surge irrigation and improved furrow irrigation management. Use of the furrow irrigation simulation model SIRMOD has enabled advisory staff to measure and optimise furrow irrigation events under typical sugar growing conditions. Difficulties however remain with deep drainage losses from furrow irrigation under trash blankets. Capacitance soil moisture meters and tensiometers were demonstrated to be effective tools for scheduling sugarcane irrigation. These devices enable growers to time irrigations to minimise crop water stress. APSFront~Sugar was developed in conjunction with APRSU to enable local advisory staff to investigate a range of issues related to sugarcane production. Despite difficulties with high rainfall, field trials demonstrated that in the absence of watertables APSIM produced reasonable predictions of crop yield. APSIM was employed to determine effective rainfall, crop response to irrigation, water use efficiency and irrigation requirement for the Mackay, Bundaberg, Mareeba, Proserpine, Atherton, Childers, and Sarina districts. APSIM was also able to identify a number of improved strategies for the use of limited allocation in supplementary irrigation districts. Project BS183S provided considerable training and support to research and extension staff.