$10K grant to improve irrigation performance

A University of Southern Queensland (USQ) PhD student has received a $10K state government grant to improve irrigation performance and water use efficiency in farming.

Jyotiprakash Padhi completed his undergraduate and masters degrees in India, before moving to Toowoomba in March 2006 to study his PhD at USQ.

'The project title for this funding is Sustainable practices to improve irrigation performance and water use efficiency using paddock scale spatial variability and will examine the scope of applying more or less water than that is required to maximize crop growth and yield to improve performance and efficiency of water use in the farm,' Mr Padhi said.

Funded under the Growing the Smart State PhD Funding Program, the research project will also look at variations in crop growth that may occur because of different soil types and the use of fertilisers and agrochemicals.

'Water can be applied to the whole paddock but various parts of the field may receive different amounts of water due to spatial variability of soil combined with spatial and temporal variation in application of fertilisers and agrochemicals,' Mr Padhi said.

'These variations may lead to spatial variation in yield and quality, which is basically non uniformity of the crop.

'Therefore, the nature and causes of this spatial variability need to be identified in order to take necessary action of applying spatially variable amounts of irrigation water.'

The research, which is also supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for Irrigation Futures based at USQ, will be conducted at the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries at Kingsthorpe Research Station.

Mr Padhi hopes to complete his research and his PhD by March 2009.

'This research will allow the grower to make strategic decisions based on if part of the field will require irrigation more frequently than another part, if the field is spatially variable.

'The research also aims to develop sustainable irrigation practices in farms by providing indirect benefits by reducing the need for fertilisers and chemicals to minimise harm to the environment.

'These measures are expected to foster economic development while protecting ecological systems so that future generations will have an environment as least as healthy and diverse as that exists now.'

Mr Padhi is pleased to be studying at USQ and in Toowoomba.

'USQ has very good expertise in agricultural engineering education and, because it's not too big, my supervisors give me a lot of time. I also like the Toowoomba climate – the hills and the cool weather.'

Media Contact: Amy Cass, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 2092 or +61 412 097 326