The event was held at the IREC Field Station in Whitton.

IREC Executive Officer, Iva Quarisa, said that the day was a great opportunity for people to see first-hand the new fully automated surface irrigation layout.

“Growers and industry saw how easy irrigation management can be,” Miss Quarisa said.

“Irrigation structures were opened and closed in front of participants by the touch of a button on a mobile phone,” she said.

IREC Chairman, Rob Houghton, said farmers were entering a very exciting age in irrigated agriculture.

He spoke about the importance of research, demonstrations and field days.

“We need to be on the front foot to achieve more production per mega litre of water,” Mr Houghton said.

“There are many other areas that we need to improve our understanding including data management, communication, the importance of soils in our productive systems and water management at all levels.”

IREC used the field day to introduce growers and industry to the range of research projects being undertaken at the field station.

“One of these is the Rural R&D for Profit Program funded Maximising on-farm irrigation profitability project. This project has three demonstration sites across the southern irrigation regions,” Miss Quarisa said.

“Our three sites are all testing the impact of a range of irrigation intervals/management and associated nitrogen use efficiency across the main summer crops rice, maize and cotton.

Other field day presenters included:

- Sam North from NSWDPI - described the work being done at the Southern Growers group demonstration site at Old Coree. At this site researchers are also looking at the potential for double cropping, through the utilization of new short-season rice and wheat varieties and determining if there is any advantage of beds over flat bays. 

- Deakin University researcher Dr Wendy Quayle - introduced the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) funded Manure Project, which is investigating the optimisation of chicken manure management in southern NSW cotton production.  NSWDPI researcher Dr Sandra McDougal - gave an update on the CRDC Thrips Project, which is looking at integrated past management in southern areas concentrating on early season thrips in cotton. 

- Murrumbidgee Irrigation representatives - gave an update on current opportunities with the Private Irrigation Infrastructure Operators Program, while David Halliwell from Deakin University lauded the role of Deakin University in the region and plans for future research and the irrigation industry.