In this section:
About Water Resources & Irrigated Crops
The Water Resources and Irrigated Crops group works within the Sustainable Systems research division. The group undertakes research on sustainable use of South Australia's water resources for irrigated crop production and other purposes in the rural landscape in order to develop strategies for reducing the impact of agricultural land use on the quality of surface and groundwater resources.
The availability of water resources is now a well-recognised limiting factor for economic growth in the state. At present irrigated agriculture utilises about 75% of the water used; in future the competition for water will increase because of the emerging demand for 'water for the environment' purposes. Modern farms tend to intensify production, e.g. precision horticulture and cell grazing of livestock and dairying, to meet lucrative markets that have tight product specifications for quantity, quality, timing and continuity of supply.
Focus
The research focus of this group is sustainable agricultural water management. The group's capabilities include the following:
Irrigation and drainage science and technologies. SARDI has developed sustainable agricultural water management practices for irrigated horticulture and has developed strategies to reduce the impact on the quantity and quality of surface and groundwater resources. Innovative soil water monitoring and solute sampling technology has been developed to help growers adapt to sustainable irrigation practices.
Improving soil physical health. SARDI has developed soil amelioration techniques including organic matter injection to improve the soil infiltration, root penetration, biological activity and water and nutrient uptake of horticultural crops thus leading to increased yields.
Managing soil salinity and other chemical imbalances. SARDI has developed unique expertise in rootzone salinity management to help counteract the trend in irrigated agriculture, including effective salt-leaching strategies. SARDI research leads the world in understanding the trade-off from applying highly efficient irrigation and the potential for salinity to build up within the root zone.
Research Projects
Current and completed research projects cover salinity management, assessing deep drainage, diffuse pollution and minimising the impact of agricultural systems on water quality, and making use of commercial inland saline water resources.
