IAL/ICID Webinar on Addressing the Global Water Challenge through Autonomous Irrigation, 29 October 2020 13:30 Hours IST/ 18:00 Hours AEST
Research in Australia is addressing the
challenge of reduced water availability by improving the water productivity of
Australian cropping and pasture irrigators. Key research areas, being addressed
under a national program “Smarter Irrigation for Profit Phase 2 (SIP2)”, include:
1. Developing
new and innovative irrigation technologies, including the application of new
sensors and advanced analytics to improve irrigation scheduling.
2. Development
and delivery of autonomous irrigation including improved automation components
and more robust networks for sensing, control and precision application for
cotton, rice, sugar and dairy irrigation farming systems.
Continuous improvement in the cost and
availability of technologies for autonomous irrigation is providing increasing
opportunities for adoption across irrigation industries in technologically
advanced countries both in Australia and internationally.
The seminar will provide a technical
overview of the practical application of autonomous irrigation on irrigation
farms across Australia. Discussion will include how these technologies may be implemented
in a staged manner to meet the needs of less technologically advanced countries.
The seminar will include presentations from leading irrigation researchers;
Associate Professor Joseph Foley from the University of Southern Queensland,
Centre for Agricultural Engineering and Associate Professor John Hornbuckle
from Deakin University and discussion with farmers who have adopted
these systems.
Presentations will focus on the application
of autonomous irrigation on surface irrigation farms and in pressurised systems
such as lateral moves or centre pivots. Topics to be covered include new
sensing technologies, data capture and analytics, supporting IoT and improved utilisation
of existing technologies. Presenters will provide insights into how they have
worked with producers to demonstrate the practical application of autonomous
irrigation focused on improving the productivity and profitability of
Australian irrigators. Critical to the success of the research has been the ability
for producers to transition from manual irrigation through remote control of
broad-acre irrigation to fully autonomous optimised irrigation.
More information on the “Smarter
Irrigation for Profit Program” can be found at the link below.
https://smarterirrigation.com.au/smarter-irrigation-bringing-producers-and-researchers-together/
