Good Management Practices for Water Use and Irrigation

How you can do this:

• Measure all water use on the farm (water meters).
• Monitor large water takes (telemetry).
• Assess soil moisture levels and weather when scheduling irrigation by:
  • Estimating soil moisture levels with a soil water budget, or
  • Monitoring actual soil moisture levels with real-time equipment (moisture sensor/probe).
• Irrigate only to replace soil moisture deficit.
• Record all irrigation events, including when, where, depth, rainfall, and weather forecasts.
• Staff are trained in irrigation system operation and maintenance. 

You can show you meet this GMP with:

• Soil moisture budget model or calculations
• Sensor trace or data
• Irrigation scheduling – rainfall records, soil tapes, probes, sensors
• Water meter and telemetry records
• Irrigation event and location records
• Staff training resources or certificate of attendance. IrrigationNZ has online training courses for those who want to improve their irrigation management, scheduling and development skills.

How you can do this:

Pastoral

• All new irrigation systems and upgrades are in accordance with the The New Zealand Piped Irrigation Systems Installation Code of Practice which is completed by a company Accredited Service Provider   
•  Undertake a  ‘wet’ commissioning test, including pressure, flow, depth, and uniformity.  
• Evaluate the irrigation system annually to check application efficiency and performance (consider using a skilled professional to assess)
• Train all staff using the system (Consider Irrigation NZs  on-line training courses) 

Horticultural 

• Evaluate your irrigation system annually to demonstrate optimal performance using irrigation industry guidance.
• Measure each irrigation water take with a water meter. Track soil moisture levels throughout the season to justify irrigation events (e.g. using soil moisture balance calculations or soil moisture probes or tapes).
• Apply water to maintain soil between stress point and field capacity. Knowledge of evapotranspiration, field capacity and use of soil probes can assist in achieving this.
   

You can show you meet this GMP with:

• Irrigation system design plans
• Commissioning report
• Calibration results
• Maintenance schedule/records
• Servicing invoices
• Staff training records