Geoffery Gardiner Dairy Foundation
Improving water efficiency in dairy grazing pastures: Production system and environmental benefits of best practice irrigation utilising sub-surface tape technology.
The Vision
This project develops, tests and demonstrates methods for improving the economic water use efficiency of irrigated dairy grazing pasture. The vision for this project is to make a major contribution to the productivity and sustainability of dairy grazing activities by:
- establishing the practical potential of new technologies
- exploring the ways in which this potential can be harnessed to benefit the production system and the environment; and
- developing an ongoing dialogue with farmers to guide and utilise the findings of the research.
The project "Regional Benefits through Smarter Irrigation" has been established with a grant of $1.5 million from the Victorian State Government. This project was conceived as a 'hub', providing a focus at the University of Melbourne's Dookie research farm for an extensive research portfolio relating to water and its use in agriculture. Uniwater is working with the various faculties at the University of Melbourne to develop inter-disciplinary research projects that bring together the diverse skills needed to tackle new challenges in water and its management. This water research agenda is being pursued with vigour and considerable success, and is complementary to this submission.