SFF Project Summary
|
Project Title: |
Effluent irrigator audit project |
| Grant No.: |
07/016 |
| |
|
Contact Details
|
| Name of Applicant Group: |
Canterbury Sustainable Dairying Group |
| Contact Person: |
Dan Bloomer |
| Address: |
21 Ruahapia Rd
RD2
HASTINGS |
| Telephone 1: |
06 876 6630 |
| Telephone 2: |
|
| Facsimile: |
06 876 6630 |
| Email: |
dan@pagebloomer.co.nz |
|
Project Details |
| Status: |
finished |
|
SFF Funding: |
110,485 |
| Total Project Funding: |
207,645 |
| Proposed Start Date: |
2007-07 |
| Proposed Finish Date: |
2009-06 |
| Region: |
Canterbury,Hawkes Bay |
| Sector: |
Pastoral |
| Sub-sector: |
Dairy |
| Topic: |
Nutrient management
Waste management |
|
|
Last updated: 10 December 2009
Latest update
Final report
Reports:
Project description
Effluent is a useful input to pasture production if applied uniformly at correct rates. Excessive application and low distribution uniformity increase nitrate leaching risk. Uniformity will be considered by regulators in the future. Current practice performance benchmarks are important.
Effluent irrigation is increasingly the subject of prosecutions and judicial comments about fitness for use of certain types of equipment. Effluent non-compliance increasingly results in fines. Purchase of equipment involves major capital expense, but farmers have no objective information with which to make a fully informed decision.
Further, effluent is a valuable on-farm resource. A wide range of effluents, soils, equipment and climates make management complex. Farmers do not know how particular effluent irrigation system types actually perform, how to maximise benefits from effluent application, or how to minimise any environmental impacts of the effluent. There are benefits of getting it right.
Independent review of equipment will encourage improvement of service among suppliers, and let farmers make informed investment decisions. Management guidelines will let farmers maximise effluent nutrient value and minimise leaching, improve compliance and reap economic and environmental benefits. Associated workshops will drive education for change. Workshops will be supported by appropriate printed material which will also be available on the Web.
This project will encourage change by assessing current behaviours and practices, and highlighting issues of concern and options for improvement and cost benefit of the changes will be shown. It will demonstrate the benefits of ensuring good equipment is correctly set up, operated and maintained.
Anticipated direct outcomes are increased attention to performance of effluent applicators with better nutrient and water utilisation, reduced leaching and better pasture performance (correct nutrient supply and by not being smothered by effluent). Associated outcomes are reduced compliance faults and penalties, and reduced risk of adverse publicity affecting markets.
We also expect general improvements in equipment being offered and bought, increasing the currently poor performance through better design and construction. Farmers and suppliers will be more proactive in seeking information they need from each other to ensure that equipment can and is operating at maximum efficiency beyond the date of purchase.
This project has been completed.
Dissemination is ongoing.
- Three field days have been held in Canterbury where the results of this project were part of the presentation.
- A poster of project progress was presented at the South Island Dairy event (SIDE) conference in June 2008.
- Information was presented at 4 Waikato field days in spring 2008.
- A Wairarapa field day was completed in December 2008 with 60 farmer attendees
- A Mangakino field day was held in January 2009 with 100 plus attendees.
- Information and learning from this study has informed rural professional training programmes.
System Evaluations
- All initial evaluations were completed in Canterbury, Waikato and Hawke’s Bay.
- Reports were sent to individual farmers.
- Recommendations for improving system performance were made. A lack of performance information from suppliers makes it difficult to specify correct operating conditions.
- Several farmers made changes in light of reports. These include increasing pump capacities and in two cases replacing irrigators.
Additional System Tests
- Meetings were held with suppliers of 5 different travelling irrigator systems.
- Spitfire, Numedic and Technipharm irrigators supplied machines which have been tested at the Centre for Land and Water.
- We have pressure: flow tested a nozzle from a pivot dropper
System Calibrations
- Calibration methodologies were developed and Guidelines and Worksheets prepared. These allow farmers to effectively and efficiently assess their own systems. Feedback from a trial group was very positive.
- Guidelines and worksheets can be downloaded as PDF files from www.claw.net.nz/resources/irrigation
Farm Interviews
- Interviews with farmers on how they manage their effluent systems have been completed in Canterbury and Waikato and Hawke’s Bay.
Other
- Outcomes from this project have informed and directed another project looking developing Codes of Practice for Effluent design, implementation and installation.
- Qualifications for Certified Effluent System Design are to be developed by AgITO and Water IT.