In this section:
Drought Management
In recent years, allocations to irrigators in the Riverland have been restricted, due to the impact of drought conditions on the availability of water from the Murray Darling River system. Climate change predictions indicate that such drought conditions may become more common in the future. For permanent crops (grapevines, citrus, and almonds, as well as smaller areas of stonefruits and pomefruits, nuts, olives and avocadoes) this is of major concern, as water restrictions threaten the very survival of plantings, which can take up to 10 years from establishment to reach full production.
The project "Enhancing the Resilience of Permanent Horticulture in South Australia" seeks to understand the impact of the drought and reduced irrigation allocations on permanent horticultural plantings in the Riverland. Important aspects are the impact of reduced water availability on survival of plantings, yield levels during restrictions, and the recovery of yield after a season or two of restricted watering. A combination of scientific field trials and broader on-farm monitoring is being used to answer these questions.
The project will develop water management strategies which minimise the impact on permanent plantings, maximising yield during restrictions, and/or minimising the time taken for plantings to recover production levels following the end of water restrictions. It will also recommend appropriate policy options for managing water allocations.
Drought Response
The Drought Response science program is part of the South Australian Government’s drought response project, testing the extremes under which grapevines can survive when faced with extreme water deficits. Trials have been established by Yalumba Nurseries at Oxford Landing Estate and at an Orlando Wyndham vineyard in Langhorne Creek to gather information about the absolute minimum water needed to keep vines alive and grow commercial crops. If production has to be shut down, the research will provide information about how long it will take to restore yields and ensure vineyards are not lost as a critical asset. The project is subjecting vines to as little as 10% of the vineyards normal water usage for up to three irrigation seasons, and is subsequently assessing recovery for up to four years. The research will measure irrigation volumes and salinity, ground water levels and salinity, soil moisture, grapevine canopy area, soil and plant salinity, plant water stress indicators, yield and fruit and wine quality. These trials are continuing with industry backing through the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation and the field sites will be utilised by other WIC partners.
SARDI's Viticulture team are working closely with the Phylloxera and Grape Industry Boards of South Australia to help identify rootstocks that have improved drought tolerance for regions that are reliant on irrigation.
View Drought Management Posters
Further information contact:
Mark Skewes
