THE changes at Rex Tout’s Loomberah dairy farm are achievable, affordable and have saved him more than $10,000 in 12 months, he says.
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Mr Tout hosted an open day on Monday at Limestone Park, the NSW dairy site for a national cross-industry smarter irrigation project.
About 30 people heard from Mr Tout, consultants and researchers about the technology and changes in practice implemented on the farm, and the results.
Project manager Marguerite White said a highlight was being able to show “where soil moisture monitoring has really made some significant gains”.
Three soil moisture probes - one per irrigator - were installed on the farm.
“He’s been able to make better decisions on when to irrigate, how much to irrigate … we’ve been able to demonstrate some incredible gains in terms of power efficiencies in better matching his surface and groundwater requirements to meet the specifications of his irrigation system,” Ms White said.
“Pumping less means using less water and less power, and the pumping he is doing is using water much more efficiently.”
Mr Tout said his water was groundwater and drawn from the Peel River.
While the latter was expensive, it was “a lot more expensive not to have it; if I don’t have irrigation water, I have to find alternative ways to feed my cows.”
“This project has made a significant difference to the way I do things here [and] with that understanding I’m able to grow better pastures for my cows … I haven't finished crunching the numbers, but I can be quite comfortable saying it’s saved a minimum of $10,000 over a 12-month period.”
Mr Tout said the first step was to have an consultant check your system and get advice on how to modify it. He said investment on capital works may seem “a bit daunting” at first “but if done correctly, the payback is in a very short period”.
The project is funded by Dairy Australia and the federal government’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, through the Rural R&D for Profit program.
BACKGROUND:
- Rex Tout milks a herd of 130 cows on 112ha consisting of an irrigated milking platform of 40ha, and 72ha designated for young and dry stock.
- In 2015/16, he produced 1.04M litres of milk (72,860 kgMS).
- The daily cow diet consists of an average 5kg and an estimated 13-14kgDM from summer and winter pastures.
- Mr Tout has both surface and groundwater entitlements totaling 461ML annually, though access is highly dependent upon seasonal allocations.
Carolyn Millet
Based at The Northern Daily Leader, Tamworth, and Namoi Valley Independent, Gunnedah. Covering general news and features on community, council, arts, business, health, education, entertainment and rural matters.
Based at The Northern Daily Leader, Tamworth, and Namoi Valley Independent, Gunnedah. Covering general news and features on community, council, arts, business, health, education, entertainment and rural matters.
