Equipping NSW, Victoria and South Australian horticulturalists to deal with increasing salinity levels in their input irrigation water
| Principal Investigator | Dr Gerrit Schrale, Irrigation Program Leader, South Australian Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity, email schrale.gerrit@saugov.sa.gov.au |
| Host Organisation | Department of Water, Land & Biodiversity Conservation (S.A.) |
| Issue or Problem to be Addressed | The high value horticultural production systems along the lower Murray are likely to continue to suffer from increasing salinity levels in irrigation water despite improved irrigation management, saline groundwater interception and future environmental flows. The effects that variations in leaching efficiency and irrigation management have on soil salinity are also inadequately quantified. |
| Objectives | Determine the salinity relationships for irrigated horticulture along the lower Murray: Riverland, Sunraysia and NSW Determine the variance of EC (soil water) in the field under known soil conditions and irrigation management Simulate the performance of the main crops under different scenarios of river salinity at Morgan Provide input to the implementation of the Salinity Strategy and Integrated Catchment Management Plan of the Murray-Darling Basin and the Living Murray initiative |
| Comment | The project is substantially improving our understanding of leaching efficiency and the amount of water required as a leaching fraction. The results of the project will inform the new NPSI project Root zone water, salinity and nutrient management under precision irrigation (SRD8). |
| Research Timeline | Completion by end October 2006. |
| Research Partners | Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity, South Australia, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Victorian Department of Primary Industries, Mallee Catchment Management Authority, CSIRO Plant Industry, NSW Agriculture, Murray-Darling Basin Commission Catchment Water Management Board, South Australian Centre for Natural Resource Management |
| NPSI Funding | Maximum of $165,000. Total Project $1,900,000 |
Research Bulletin October 2005:Measuring the effects of improving water use efficiency on root zone salinity
The project was the subject of the article 'Addressing the Silent Time Bomb' in Irrigation Update 4
Milestone 3 Report
Milestone 4 Report
Milestone 5 Report
Final Report
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