WATERCHECK - a co-ordinated extension program for improving irrigation efficiency on Australian cane farms

An irrigation extension project called "W A TERCHECK" has been commenced to improve irrigation efficiency on cane farms. In Bundaberg, the readily available soil water contents of the main cane growing soils have been evaluated, so irrigation applications can more accurately match soil storage capacities. For Burdekin canegrowers, irrigation scheduling using evaporation minipans has gained widespread acceptance with over 200 distributed during 1995. Yield responses to better irrigation scheduling using evaporation minipans could provide an additional 240,000 tonnes of cane in the Burdekin district alone. Monitoring water usage on Burdekin delta soils has allowed water use efficiency benchmarks to be developed, and indicated where changes in management practices should occur. Integral to the project activities has been the participatory role of growers in the collection of the data, interpretation of the results and development of modifications to cultural and management practices.