Monitoring pump

performanceOnce they are installed, pumpstypically operate on a set-and-forgetbasis. Unfortunately, they also oftendon’t performing as specified andchew through more electricity ordiesel than needed. Of course, apump assessment can be done tocheck performance, but adisadvantage is that they may onlylook at performance for an hour ortwo, rather than over the wholeirrigation cycle during which thepump may perform different duties.

Now there is a solution to thisissue - the Wireless PressurisedIrrigation Monitoring System (PIMS).PIMS provides a toolkit formonitoring the performance of keycomponents of an irrigation system,such as pump pressure and suction,application pressures and storagewater levels. Importantly, the PIMStoolkit allows continuous monitoringof performance across the completeirrigation cycle.

At the heart of the PIMS toolkit iscoordinator unit which integrates thevarious sensors during the irrigation

cycle. Data can be viewed as it iscollected or stored by the coordinatorand downloaded later. The wirelesssystem offers great flexibility inconnecting the range of sensors. ThePIMS system can be customised to aspecific application to provide real-time and remote monitoring ofresources, irrigation and assets.

Pat Daley from Daley’s WaterService in Queensland has tested thetoolkit out in the field.

32 IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA

IRRIGATION TOOLS FOR THE FUTUREThe CRC for Irrigation Futures has had a look through its toolbox and come up with a sample of products and ideasto illustrate the variety of innovative ways we will be looking at irrigation and water management in the future.

The heart of the PIMS toolkit - a coordinator unit which integrates the various sensorsduring the irrigation cycle.

Figure 2. Pressure variation at the end ofa centre pivot operating on undulatingcountry.

Figure 1. Information that PIMS can provide includes pump head and pressure over timeat different water depths.

There has been much debate aboutthe potential of expanding irrigationin northern Australia. The CRCIFhas asked the question: if irrigationis changed and/or expanded innorthern Australia, how can it be

better integrated into the uniqueenvironmental and culturallandscape of the tropics?

Irrigation mosaics might be oneway. Mosaics involve discretepatches of irrigated land distributed

across the landscape that may be aviable alternative to traditionallarge-scale irrigation systems (seeFigure 3).

Irrigation mosaics may be moresympathetic to and in tune withnorthern Australia landscapes,allowing more options andopportunities for adaptiveirrigation management. Ifproperly integrated into differentlandscapes a mix of small-scaleirrigated patches could helpreduce surface and deep drainage,minimise erosion and decreasenutrient loss relative to large-scaleirrigated areas.

By comparison, traditionalapproaches to irrigation can leadto rising watertables and soil andgroundwater salinisation, andthreaten the long termsustainability of irrigated areas.Leakage of nutrients andagrochemicals from the rootzonecan threaten downstreamecological systems.

Some analysis tools are nowavailable to obtain further insightsinto various mosaic designs. Wenow need to develop moreknowledge about the broadermovement of solutes like nitrateand salt in mosaic systems.Further analysis of the ecological,social and economic impacts isalso required.

While further research isneeded, the application ofirrigation mosaic thinking couldbenefit not only new irrigationdevelopments but alsoreconfiguration of existingirrigation in northern andsouthern Australia.

Information

For more information about mosaics,contact Dr Keith Bristow, phone 07 4753-8596, emailKeith.Bristow@irrigationfutures.org.auwebsite www.clw.csiro.au/naif/

“I am very impressed with what alittle information can give you,” saidPat. “Initial data from a side rollirrigator has highlighted a definedpump suction problem when it isfilling the spray line; it is taking fartoo long to get up to pressure at thesprays. I see the PIMS as being usefullogging the variable pressures youmight have when operating a

travelling irrigator or centre pivotover undulating ground.”

According to Pat, the assessmentwork he has carried out has shown60% of distribution uniformityproblems are from incorrect pressureat the water applicator.

“This particular trial data allowedme to calculate the pay back time of

costs incurred rectifying systemperformance,” he explained.

Information

For information about PIMS, contact Dr Jack McHugh, phone 07 4631 1873,emailjack.mchugh@irrigationfutures.org.au

CRCIF

IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA 33

Figure 3. Irrigation mosaics and traditional contiguous irrigation areas. Blue and redarrows represent water and solute movement, respectively.

Some potential impacts of irrigation mosaics

Potential +ve impacts Potential -ve impacts

• reduced watertable rise • higher evapotranspiration

• improved filtering of surplus nutrients • increased operational water losses

• reduction in solutes leaving an irrigated • more difficult logistics for implementationregion

• ability to exploit natural variability in the • diseconomies of scalelandscape

Alternative approaches to irrigation in Northern Australia

Community participation hasbecome an accepted part of goodpublic decision-making processessuch as water planning. But usingparticipation to build consensusacross the community is not easy.

Pictures taken by irrigators areproving to be a great way of drawingout how people value water and theirattitudes to water reforms. In short,this provides a deeper understandingof the issues. ‘Photovoice’ is atechnique that lets people use photosto represent what water means tothem and to illustrate theirunderstanding of sustainable wateruse. The technique complementsmore traditional survey methods togive insights into how the irrigatorsview water issues.

In southeast South Australia (SA),an exhibition of the photos taken by6 irrigators and other ruralcommunity members, called PicturingWater Use and Justice, was shown inthe Adelaide fringe festival and in MtGambier in 2008. Another exhibitionis almost completed for theColeambally region of NSW.

The SA Photovoice exhibition hasprovided new insights into drought,the sense of attachment to land andreported on the efforts made byirrigators to achieve sustainablemanagement of their land.Comments from urban Adelaideresidents on the exhibitionunderscore the realisation ofsustainable practices used by growers.

In the Lockyer catchment west ofBrisbane and in the Lower Balonnecatchment in south Queensland, the‘Photovoice’ method drew out valuesabout procedural and distributionalfairness, sustainable water use, needfor independence and communitywellbeing. Photovoice allowedopponents to discuss their differentvalues, leading to reducedcompetitive orientations, findingcommon ground and achievingagreements. The ability to get parties

to ‘shift’ ground by designingacceptable ‘packages’ is the heart ofthe art of consensus buildingapproach.

Information

For information about Photovoicecontact: Professor Jennifer McKay (for SA

and NSW), phone 08 8302 0887, emailJennifer.McKay@irrigationfutures.org.auwebsitewww.unisa.edu.au/waterpolicylaw/Dr Claudia Baldwin (for Queensland),phone 07 5430 1283, emailClaudia.Baldwin@irrigationfutures.org.au

CRCIF

34 IRRIGATION AUSTRALIA

Smart metering‘Smart’ water metering technology,which has the potential to improveirrigation and on farm efficiency, isbeing researched by the CRCIF at itsUniversity of South Australia node

Knowing the amount of water beingused and where it is used are

important elements associated withpractising efficient irrigation.

Current intensive irrigationschemes often consist of complexpressurised delivery network systems,and obtaining useful information onwater use can be technically difficultand expensive. ‘Smart’ technologycan be coupled with a water meter to

measure water use and providedetailed information that can lead toimproved irrigation practice andefficiency.

The research has shown improvedirrigation efficiency through use ofthis information in trials conductedon citrus and avocado crops andvineyards in Renmark, South Australia

Water pictures worth a thousand words

Rural community members provide their perspective – in pictures

LEFT: Lower Balonne upstream: ‘Thedevelopment we have here and theinvestment … is useless without water’

RIGHT: Lower Balonne downstream:‘Lignum watercourses…from floods whichwe don’t get a lot of these days… When

we don’t get any floodwater on this heavysort of country, we don’t grow a huge lot

of food’

LEFT: Lower Lockyer: ‘Our house …our livelihood and our children’s future... without water we don’t have abusiness, without water you’reconcerned for your children’s future’…‘this parking lot would normally be full…these people matter to me’

RIGHT: Water at work. Hundreds ofgraziers, stock agents and meat buyers

mill around looking for bargains orchecking that they got a fair price from thebuyer. All these people heavily depend on

the irrigated pasture for their livelihood.

LEFT: Water as it should be. The last ofthe “wet” winters. Swans normally return tothe same swamp every year but thesehave found the Tillas Wetland dry for 7 ofthe last 12 winters.

and on urban open space turf irrigated in Adelaide.Other trials are being assessed in applicationsinvolving vegetable crops, almond orchards, grapevines and plant nurseries.

An unexpected outcome from the trials to date isthe interest in accurate water use data expressed byirrigators and, more importantly, the desired toimprove irrigation efficiency. One of the trials hasled to an intensive field salinity and nutrient soluteassessment while another demonstrated that apotential saving of 30% or 100 ML annually couldbe achieved on one farm alone.

Designed to be used where irrigation is managedmanually or with simple controllers, the ‘Smart’ toolis intended to be a technology for use at the farmenterprise level, but it also has potential benefits forirrigation water suppliers and urban open spaceirrigators.

National Water Commission funding will enablethe CRCIF to further develop and extend the tool’ssmart capabilities, and identify the factors that willencourage uptake of the technology by rural andurban pressurised irrigators.

The Chief Executive Officer of the CRC IF, IanAtkinson, says the technology has potentialapplications in both rural and urban settings. Inurban irrigation for instance it could be used bylocal government to monitor water use at multi-purpose community facility where water is used forturf, gardens, toilets and other purposes. Being ableto accurately monitor water use for each purposefrom the one device has major potential in a time ofwater shortages. However, to achieve commercialapplication of the technology the CRCIF will beseeking a suitable commercial partner and would bepleased to hear from Australian companies lookingto exploit these ideas.

The research on smart metering is beingconducted with support from the AustralianGovernment through the National WaterCommission’s Raising National Water StandardsProgram (RNWS). The program supports theimplementation of the National Water Initiative byfunding projects that are improving Australia’snational capacity to measure, monitor and manageour water resources.

To reach the decision-makers in the

irrigation field, you should consider

advertising in Irrigation AustraliaJournal, the official journal of Irrigation

Australia.

For information on advertising rates,

please contact Brian Rault at Hallmark

Editions, Tel (03) 8534 5000 or email

brian.rault@halledit.com.au