Summary
The principal objective of this project is:
To develop best management guidelines which provide practical information and advice that farmers can use to make, document and revise decisions relating to the design and operation of irrigation systems, to achieve sustainable irrigation.
The best management guidelines are to help farmers obtain the benefits of well-designed and operated irrigation systems. These benefits are:
Increased crop production:
- improved environmental performance including reduced contamination of groundwater and reduced impacts on aquatic habitat values in rivers and streams;
- efficient use of resources - water, energy and labour; and
- reduced risk of crop and business failure.
In a previous study funded by MAF Policy (LE Report No 2720/1†), sustainability goals for the environmental, social and economic aspects of farming were defined. A set of indicators that farmers could use to measure and report on the sustainability of their irrigation management practices was presented.
The best management guidelines provide practical advice on how to use and apply the indicators defined in the previous report, to achieve sustainable irrigation through better design and management of irrigation systems. The guidelines will be field-tested in the 1997/98 irrigation season.
The overall goal of irrigation is usually to maximise net profit over the long term, although the environmental and social goals of irrigation are also very important. To achieve this goal, farmers need to make daily, seasonal and long-term decisions with respect to the design and operation of their irrigation systems within the following areas:
- new system design;
- preseason checks;
- planning the irrigation strategy for the season;
- operating and managing the irrigation system during the season; and
- reviewing the performance at the end of the season.
The best management guidelines provide information to help farmers make better decisions within these areas. The guidelines also specify a process that farmers can use to evaluate the effectiveness of their decisions to continually improve the sustainability of irrigation practices, and to demonstrate the sustainability of these practices to regulatory authorities.
Contact for Enquiries
MAF Information Services
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526
Wellington, NEW ZEALAND
Fax: +64 4 894 0721
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