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Improved Irrigation and Nutrient Management December 2010 Irrigation Efficiency, Nutrient and Land Management Project A Caring for our Country Project The Irrigation Efficiency, Nutrient and Land Manage The irrigation monitoring The major n At Katherine Detailed information on the soil pits The soil hydrology report for the Roper River Agriculture pits is now on the website. Soil moisture infiltration rates, a key soil health indicator, show no decline due to cultivation. Seems the current soil management systems are working well on this melon farm.
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Improved Irrigation and Nutrient Management January 2009
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ment Project is due for completion on 30 June 2011. Over the last two years it has focused on soil moisture monitoring, nutrition trials on peanut/maize rotations, mulching systems for maize and melon crops and indepth soil analysis of agricultural soils in the Katherine, Daly and Roper regions. As information and reports produced by this project become available they are posted onto this page in the column opposite.
program has been conducted on 5 sites and utilising 6 different soil moisture monitoring systems. While the technology is improving there is still a need for constant back up for most electronic systems. Often they fail just when the information is most crucial. The G-Bug gypsum block system is one system that has not missed a reading through equipment failure for the duration of the project but it only stores 3 weeks data and must be manually downloaded. The strengths and weaknesses of all the trialled systems will be highlighted in an irrigation day to be held in April 2011. 
utrient trial at Eagle Pk has now concluded. Yield data from the forage sorghum hay crop and the maize crops should give an initial assessment of the value of different Nitrogen fertiliser applications and the value of retaining the Nitrogen rich trash from the previous peanut crop. Early indications are that the yields were comparable with the non-trash system used for the 2009 Dry Season crop. Post harvest soil analysis will highlight any gain in soil carbon from this system. Any benefits from retaining crop trash and using a mulching system are likely to be small in the first year of application.
Research Station the third crop in the maize mulching systems trials has been planted. Unlike the two previous trials where pearl millet was planted as a mulch crop and then sprayed out before planting the maize, this trial is looking to utilise large amounts of organic trash matter, up to 17 t/ha dry matter, from previous crops and the Sabi grass that regrew after the last maize crop. Harvest is expected early next year and will complete a series of three maize crops with different mulch treatments at this site. 
studied in this project are to be found in the articles on displayed on this page. Soil physical properties identified at Eagle Park confirmed the presence of a natural hard pan layer that is critical to manage in maize production. The hard pan can severely impact on root growth and reduce the eventual yield of the crop.
Is your pivot or drip-tape irrigation system applying your water where and when you want it? 
through the soil and away from the roots of your crop? 
The project runs for 3 years and will be overseen by a steering committee of major growers and departmental and industry reps. You can get involved in a number of ways; by reading the newsletters, accessing the website, answering the surveys, coming to the field days and demonstration sites, hosting a demonstration or trial site, attending the seminars, being a member of the steering committee or just sending your thoughts to NTAgA.
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