Essential elements of high-performance
surface irrigation
Tony Oakes, Rubicon Water
April 9 2014
Surface Irrigation
Unimproved surface irrigation
Improved surface irrigation
Dependant
Benefits
On-farm Modernisation Alternatives
System
Application
Efficiency
Water applied Water savings
(ML/ha)
(ML/ha)
Increase in
energy use
(MJ/ha)
Unimproved
surface irrigation
55%
7.3
-
0
Sprinkler
90%
4.4
2.9
7300
Micro
95%
4.2
3.1
6300
High-performance 85%
surface irrigation
4.7
2.6
0
High-performance surface irrigation is achieving application efficiencies close to that of
sprinkler and micro irrigation with considerably less investment and lower carbon foot print
Source: Khatri & Smith, University of Southern Queensland
Application Efficiency
Unimproved surface
irrigation
Application Efficiency
50 –
70%
Under
Irrigation
Cut-off Point
Varies for each irrigation
Over
Irrigation
Time
Application Efficiency
High-performance
surface irrigation
85 –
90%
Unimproved surface
irrigation
Application Efficiency
50 –
70%
Under
Irrigation
Cut-off Point
Varies for each irrigation
Over
Irrigation
Time
Unimproved Surface Irrigation
Multiple days of reduced productivity
due to waterlogged conditions
Example: low flow – 8 megs per day
Low Crop Water Use Efficiency
6
High-performance surface irrigation
Full productive use of water. No
evidence of waterlogged conditions
Example: high flow – 20 to 22 megs per day
High Crop Water Use Efficiency
7
Key Message
Automation is an essential element of high-performance surface irrigation
Automation ensures on-farm development programs achieve increased
application efficiencies
Integrated system of automation and crop management achieves increased
productivity using less water
8
FarmConnect®
FarmConnect is a single platform to deliver the water saving for Highperformance surface irrigation via:
 control and automation (using iBee radios and Rubicon Actuation and
valves),
 irrigation system monitoring (pressure, flow, water level, remote pump)
 auto detection for cut-off times (using FloodTech) and
 sensing plant water demand for irrigation commencement (using soil
moisture probes).
9
FarmConnect® Gateway
Fast, reliable communications
Cellular
Network
FarmConnect server
Web based viewing
Agronomic analysis
FarmConnect® Software
11
FarmConnect® System
Internet PPP
Cellular
connection
Network
FarmConnect Server
Web based
viewing
FarmConnect
Gateway
Multi sensor
probes
BladeValve
BayDrive
Agronomic
analysis
FarmConnect®
Integrated solution to automate irrigation
Scheduling and control software
FarmConnect® Automation Farm Plan
14
FarmConnect® Nodes
Integrated solution for remote wireless communicating using telemetry devices
FarmConnect Nodes provides a sensor and actuator
interface to the FarmConnect ® system
Nodes self-mesh and self-manage to form a network
with optimal data routing with 1 km (0.6 mile) range
GPS receiver provides real-time coordinate information
for location-tagging of data
ZigBee
 International standard
 Open platform
 Utilised by Victorian Government for smart metering
for water, gas and energy
FarmConnect®
Integrated solution to automate irrigation programs
Setup irrigation program




select date and start time
select bay sequence
determine bay runtime
auto calculate total
runtime for program
Visually displays bay
sequence with bar chart
Spatially displays bay
sequence with map
Dispatch program to each
radio
 Program ready to execute
unless updated
Event-based automation
FarmConnect®
Integrated solution to monitor irrigation programs
Monitor irrigation program in
progress
 See which bays have
completed irrigation
 identify current bay still
irrigating
 determine remaining
runtime for current bay
Visually displays bay outlet
status:
 open (currently irrigating)
 closed
 stopped (if not completed)
FarmConnect®
Integrated solution to manage devices
Manage each bay outlet
remotely via mobile deveice:
 open
 closed
 Stopped
Displays bay outlet status
Displays current preset –
instruction to open and closed
at a certain time and date
Show status of preset:
 active or
 expired
BayDrive™
Wireless control of bay outlets
BayDrive™
22
BayDrive™
Bay outlet actuation system with furrow irrigation
23
BladeValve™
Pipe & riser valve actuation system
BladeValve™
25
Smart Meter Gateway
Giving the farmer access to operational data
from their meter
Providing connectivity between TCC metering
device and Rubicon’s FarmConnect on-farm
control system
Full isolation from meter function
No impact on TCC operation (both local and
host) or TCC communication system
26
Smart Meter Gateway
Accumulated flow rate is recorded per bay to:
 determine volume delivered per irrigation event
 determine volume delivered per season
 determine volume applied per crop variety
Link water applied to productivity levels:
 record productivity (kg or tn) per megalitre
 understand water use efficiency on the farm
 generate indexes for comparison within farm, season to
season or between farms
27
Smart Meter Gateway
Flow reading used by FarmConnect to achieve high irrigation application efficiencies
 Current flow rate
 Accumulated flow rate
 Determination of time to cut-off
Benchmark each irrigation event
 understanding volume applied per bay
 Accumulate multiple irrigation events for volume applied per season
 Generate indexes for comparison within farm, season to season or between farms
This is expressed as:
 irrigation water use index (IWUI) – irrigation only or
 gross production water use index (GPWUI) – all water use from irrigation, rain & soil stored
Water order start and stop events used to sequence on-farm automation program
28
Irrigation Water Use Index
For example with high-performance surface irrigation for maize (dry matter) for a
dairy farm, the Irrigation Water Use Index (IWUI) was:
 3.97 ton per megalitre
– 27tn per hectare (dry matter – Maize) with 6.8megs per hectare
Compared to traditional surface irrigation for neighbouring dairy farms:
 1.88 ton per megalitre
– 16tn per hectare (dry matter – Maize) with 8.5megs per hectare
The capability of high-performance surface irrigation can double the production
with the same volume of water and cropped area or
Produce the same level of production with half the water and cropped area
29
FloodTech™ Sensor – Bay Cut-Off
 The precise time to stop the flow onto the
bay from the bay outlet or riser valve is
dynamic as seasonal changes in ground
cover or a different soil moisture content
changes the runtime
 Delivers high-performance surface irrigation
 Adds science to the decision to determine
the time to shut the bay outlet to avoid tail
water losses
 Essential requirement to ensure High Flow
achieves high water application efficiency
 Backed up with alarms to notify operator if
exceptions occur
 Irrigation is completed without tail water
losses incurred
Determination of time to cut-off
Flow = Q
Point of
Full Depth
ds
di
Bay
outlet
Water
front
t=0
Cut-off
point
FloodTech
sensor
location
tb
ta
End of
bay
tc
TIME
Flow rate – measured at Smart Meter Gateway
Advance time and flow depths – measured by FloodTech sensors a
location down the bay
Bay geometry – length, width, slope
Soil moisture deficit – from moisture probe or ET estimates
Application Efficiency
Possible efficiency range
Application Efficiency
85 –
90%
Under
Irrigation
Cut-off Point
Varies for each irrigation
Over
Irrigation
Time
Crop Water Use Efficiency
Understanding irrigation management is a key aspect to implementing
Improved Surface Irrigation - the result is higher water use efficiency using
less water to grow more crop.
 delay the timing of the next irrigation without reducing crop productivity
 allow consumptive use of available water at all levels of the root zone while
extending the irrigation interval providing a soil profile with increased
capacity to accept the next irrigation applied and reduce waterlogging
 knowledge of the soil moisture deficit and confidence of knowing the
number of days till next irrigation event without being to late or too early
FarmConnect®
Integrated solution to determine demand management
Irrigation Management Concepts
Summed Graph
 daily water use rate
 irrigation effectiveness
 when to irrigate
 how much to irrigate
 establish upper & lower limits
Separate Layer Graph
 through drainage & infiltration rates
 where most root activity occurs
 soil moisture stress at each layer
FarmConnect®
Integrated solution to determine demand management
Prediction of next irrigation
A line extrapolated from the trend of current crop water use, estimating future soil moisture decline
The trend line automatically updates providing the latest trend
Determine when your next irrigation is due (when the trend line intersects the refill point)
FarmConnect®
Integrated solution to determine demand management
Device list of soil moisture sites with prediction of next irrigation
Fuel gauge to show range of soil moisture and current status
Quick view of soil moisture graphs on mobile device or tablet (iPhone or Android)
36
FarmConnect®
Integrated solution to determine effective rainfall in soil profile
Overlay rainfall events with the data from the soil moisture probe
Analyse how effective rainfall was within the soil profile
38
Crop Water Use Efficiency
The following case study highlights the transition from a current schedule to an
actual schedule after suggestions were identified for improvement.
The result will be less number of irrigations, less volume of water applied and
increased crop productivity
39
Case Study - Historic Schedule
Soil moisture probe captures irrigation events and daily crop water use
Records data for future interpretation
Case Study – Opportunities for improvement
Multiple days of
reduced
productivity due
to waterlogged
conditions
Case Study – Opportunities for improvement
Strong daily
water use - soil
moisture is still
available - no
stress evident at
this deficit
Case Study - Suggested Schedule
Strong daily
water use - soil
moisture is still
available - no
stress evident at
this deficit
Delay irrigation and monitor that
continued soil moisture is still
available – watching for evidence
of any reduction in daily water use
Delay irrigation compared to previous irrigations and monitor that continued soil moisture
is still available – watching for evidence of any reduction in daily water use
Ensure that the next irrigation is not too early
Case Study - Suggested Schedule
Multiple days of
reduced
productivity due
to waterlogged
conditions
Strong daily
water use - soil
moisture is still
available - no
stress evident at
this deficit
Delay irrigation and monitor that
continued soil moisture is still
available – watching for evidence
of any reduction in daily water use
Delay irrigation compared to previous irrigations and monitor that continued soil moisture
is still available – watching for evidence of any reduction in daily water use
Ensure that the next irrigation is not too early
Case Study - Actual Schedule
Short irrigation intervals
Longer irrigation intervals
Rainfall event occurred
and a decision to
further delay irrigation
was made with
confidence
Advised the manager to
delay Irrigation and monitor
that continued soil moisture
is still available – watching
for evidence of any
reduction in daily water use
Original practice
Confirmed the delay in the two
Irrigations showed no evidence
of any reduction in daily water
use
Changed practice
Since the recommendation date, the manager has delayed irrigations to maximise water use
in the soil profile without stress or reduction in productivity
The crop has benefited with being able to harvest rainfall within the profile for productive
water use
Case Study - Actual Schedule
Original practice
Advised the
manager to delay
Irrigation and
monitor that
continued soil
moisture is still
available –
watching for
evidence of any
reduction in daily
water use
Changed practice
Since the recommendation date, the crop has accessed available moisture at lower depths
within the soil profile compared to before recommendation
This maximises water use efficiency, reduces waterlogging as profile is fully utilised before
refilling
Benefits for Crop Management
Soil moisture monitoring records events
as they happen - in real time – and
presents them in an understandable
format





Predictive tool (pre-planning)
Know the effectiveness of rainfall
Estimations of yield
Auditing of season performance
Site specific measurement can be
integrated with spatial data from other
precision ag technologies (imaging,
surveying etc)
 Learn how the crop responds in the ‘plant –
soil – climate’ matrix
 Aggregation of data (region-wide) can help
agronomists understand district trends
(influence on strategy)
Summary
Automation is an essential element of High-Performance Surface
Irrigation, ensuring the On-Farm development programs achieve
increased application efficiencies by using an integrated system of
Automation and Crop Management to achieve increased productivity
using less water.
48
Thank you
53