Overview
This project explored the co-development of a prototype Soil Water Outlook for Australian agriculture.
Project summary
This project aimed to explore the co-development of Water Information Services (WIS) by agricultural industries and governments seeking to achieve sustainability and production goals in Australia's Murray Darling Basin. A variety of information on water availability and status of water resources is currently provided by the Australian Government's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) which has a national role in providing climate and water information to the public. These WIS, which are currently available to the public, include short to medium- term forecasts of rainfall, temperature and stream flow. However, there is currently little information on how farmers (irrigators and dryland) use these services and what benefits are derived from them.
The impacts of climate variability, urbanisation, economic activity and population growth in the Basin and beyond mean that increasing regional water productivity (e.g. the efficiency of water use for production and environmental outcomes) is a critical issue for current and future resource management as well as farm business and agricultural industry development (BOM 2014).
A prototype Soil Water Outlook was co-developed by Melbourne University researchers and the BOM. This was presented to farmers in two participatory workshops: with members of the Birchip Cropping Group and a lamb producers and graziers discussion group in Victoria. The Soil Water Outlook will be further developed for wider application as part of ongoing research at the University of Melbourne.
Research Group Leader/Key contact
Dr Margaret Ayre, A/Prof. Ruth Nettle, Prof Andrew Western, Dr Robert Argent (BOM)
Contact details
Dr Margaret Ayre; T: 03 9035 4711; E:mayre@unimelb.edu.au
Partnership details
Bureau of Meteorology in partnership with the University of Melbourne/Carlton Connect Initiative.