Agriculture & Farming

Agriculture and farming keep Australia going. Without farmers we'd have no food, and the base materials for many things we build would cease to exist. That's why proper irrigation and water management support are so vital for those who work the land, so they can spend less time worrying about whether they'll have water when and where they need it, and more time focusing on creating the best quality outputs and highest yields possible.

Water Management For The Main Types Of Agriculture And Farming

Agriculture and farming is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of specialist roles. Everything from vineyards to cattle stations, fruit and vegetable crops to chickens and more fall into this category, with a variety of farm configurations needed to achieve the outputs the growers desire. Having said that, as a general rule, most agriculture and farming operations fall into two categories:

Irrigation For Crop Farming Crop farming encompasses any type of farming activity that is centred around producing a fruit or vegetable. This includes all the fruits and veggies people buy at grocers, as well as specialty fruit and vegetables grown for the purpose of creating a refined product. This does not mean, however, that all crop farming operations can follow the same water management plan and expect good results. A crop of lettuce, for example, requires very different care to apples, and apples that will reach homes as fresh fruit differ in their care needs to those being grown for cider.

For this reason, it is vital that you speak with your local Irrigear Independent Experts if you're at all unsure as to what kind of irrigation and water management systems you need when handling a new crop.

Planting In A Water Wise Manner

When running a crop farming operation, water is your most precious, and most consumed, resource. Planting your crops in a manner that works with your irrigation system can make all the difference in water management efficiency and crop yields. With this in mind, it is wise to speak with your Irrigear Independent Experts about where to plant your crops or trees in order to reap the most benefits from your crop irrigation system. This is particularly important for those planting a new crop in an area that already has established irrigation, however, those designing a new system will also receive significant benefit from designing their crop layout alongside their water management system.

Stock Farming

The other main type of agriculture and farming is stock farming. This comes with its own unique needs and challenges for water management, with the additional complexity of the animals you're trying to raise being able to move around. This means that you'll probably have to cater for both stock watering and enrichment across multiple areas of the property, making the irrigation and water management systems even more vital.

Stock Watering Stock watering looks different depending on the animals that live on your farm. Chickens, for example, will consume far less water than cows or sheep, but if free-ranging, they also generally move indoors at night, meaning you'll need two different stock watering systems to keep them happy and healthy. By the same token, sheep and other livestock that live in paddocks must often have their location rotated to ensure adequate levels of feed, so you'll find yourself up against the challenge of having to cover larger volumes of space.

This is why it's so important to chat with your Irrigear Independent Experts when designing your stock watering and water management systems, as they can ensure that all components work harmoniously and are up to the job, regardless of what the task actually is.

Water Enrichment For Livestock

In addition to needing water to survive, many types of livestock also make use of this farm resource for enjoyment. Ducks, for example, enjoy bathing themselves, while larger livestock often use bodies of water in their area to cool themselves down on hot days. The water bodies needed for this don't always occur naturally, so it's worth considering stock enrichment when designing your farm water management plan.

Irrigating Stock Paddocks In addition to needing to ensure appropriate stock watering, farming operations focused on raising animals need to ensure that their paddocks stay green. In many parts of Australia this is often only achievable with the help of an irrigation system, so if you're one of many farmers struggling with dry paddocks, speak with your local Irrigear Independent Experts about solutions to help prevent these concerns in future.

Universal Agriculture And Farming Water Management Solutions

Regardless of whether you're growing crops or raising animals, there are some water management solutions that are beneficial for any type of farming. These include:

Bores While water does sometimes magically fall from the sky (thanks rain) this isn't always the case, and when your life's work is in the agriculture and farming sector, relying on the clouds can prove dangerous. This is why many farms choose to install one or more bores on their property. While this obviously requires the appropriate testing to ensure that ground water is available, as well as a proper bore, pump and water relocation system, the result is enhanced water security when you need it most.

Your local Irrigear Independent Experts can assist in finding water for your bore, as well as the configuration of your bore and equipment, so be sure to chat with them about your water needs if there's even a hint of a possibility that you may not have sufficient water for your agriculture and farming activities.

Tanks 

One of the simplest ways to ensure that you have access to water where and when you need it is to store it close by. While commercial pumps are more than capable of moving water for long distances, friction loss means flow and pressure will almost always be affected by the time the water reaches where you need it if it’s had to travel across your entire property to get there. While this isn’t a concern if the water isn’t needed immediately (or at a high rate of pressure) it can prove problematic in situations where high flow or immediate access are needed. For example, if your farm fire management plan notes a hazard on the opposite side of your property to the dam you need to draw from, that could be a problem. By the same token, if you need to hose down an area dirtied by stock, the water that’s able to cross your property through pipes may not provide the required pressure to get everything clean. By installing tanks where you need them, and quietly pumping water in the background to keep them full, you ensure that you get instant delivery and pressure whenever, and wherever it’s needed. 

Additional water storage near the home is also never a bad thing, as your tanks can provide a fantastic backup if your dams run dry or rain levels don’t meet your requirements for the season. It should also be noted that portable tanks and/or tanks placed throughout your property can make keeping on top of hazards identified within your farm fire management plan far easier and help ensure you get the required results if their use is ever needed.

Water Monitoring

Finally, it doesn’t matter how much water you have, if you can’t monitor it and have an understanding of what your storage levels are, you’re probably going to be stressed about it. For this reason, we strongly recommend that all agriculture and farming businesses make use of a water monitoring system for peace of mind.

Why Get Your Agricultural And Farming Equipment From Your Local Irrigear Independent Experts:

With strong collective experience across all areas of agriculture and farming, and specialised advice available from your local Irrigear Independent Experts, our network is particularly well placed to provide support regardless of your commercial irrigation needs.