evaluation of automated bay irrigation rod smith, jasim uddin, malcolm gillies – ncea peter...
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Evaluation of automated bay irrigation
Rod Smith, Jasim Uddin, Malcolm Gillies – NCEAPeter Moller, Kevin Clurey – Rubicon Water
Trial Sites
10 Bay irrigated dairy farms in northern Victoria automated with Rubicon ‘Farm Connect’ systems
1 bay per farm X multiple irrigations
Irrigations carried out by farmer using usual management
Fully automated bay irrigated dairy farm
Zigbee radio communication
within farm
Channel control gate
Bay gates
Pipe and riser system
Data used in evaluation
Flow rate – measured at Rubicon ‘Smart Meter Gateway’ at farm inlet
Advance time and flow depths – measured by Rubicon ‘FloodTech’ sensors at various locations down the bay
Soil moisture deficit – from moisture probe or ET estimates
FloodTech flow depth sensor
Mean Ground Surface Level
1/10/2014 7:12
1/10/2014 9:36
1/10/2014 12:00
1/10/2014 14:24
1/10/2014 16:480
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Time
Re
ad
ing
(m
m)
Process: Simulation model (SISCO) calibrated using measured
data, that is, the bay infiltration characteristic and the flow resistance provided by the crop or pasture determined by finding best fit between model prediction and measured advance & depths
Use SISCO to simulate the irrigation and calculate the performance parameters, ie to give: Application and requirement efficiencies Depth of water that has infiltrated Volume of runoff Deep percolation loss
Calibration of SISCO – advance data
Calibration of SISCO – depth data
Summary of irrigation performance
Farm Crop Ea%
Er%
Runoff %
Deep Perc %
Gr Perm pasture 67 100 27 6
Inv Soybean 70 - 88 92 30 - 11 1
Ll Lucerne 96 99 1 3
Min Perm pasture 67 71 33 -
P Lucerne 99 70* - -
Q Lucerne 99 81* - -
R Perm pasture 71 100 5 24
* Advance did not reach end of field
Combination of high flow rate, accurate selection of duration (Tco), & consistent scheduling gave: High efficiency Minimal deep drainage &
runoff
Example 1 – High performance irrigator
Soil moisture
Depth infiltrated
Example 2 – Lesser performance
1/16/2014 0:00 1/31/2014 0:00 2/15/2014 0:00 3/2/2014 0:00 3/17/2014 0:00360
365
370
375
380
385
Time
So
il m
ois
ture
(m
m)
D soil moisture = 15 mm
SETo = 85 mm
Depth infiltrated = 44 mm
Example 3 – Interpretation?
Minimising uncertainty
Accurate & sufficient data
Multiple irrigations – consistent results
Ground truthing observations