Water - make every litre count

In many parts of the region the drier than average winter meant fewer

Although great at the

pugged

paddocks. time, there has been limited or no runoff into dams due to the soil profile not being saturated.

This could be a major issue for some farmers who rely on dam water.

Knowing how much water you have on hand and require to last through until dams refill is important.

This will help plan steps you can take.

The Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources Department (DEDJTR) website has some useful resources to help with this planning, including a farm water calculator and information notes. Dairy Australia’s website also has some useful resources.

There may also be emergency water supply points in your area.

If it is going to be a tight year water-wise on your farm, check and recheck your figures.

It is also important to note where any potential water losses could occur and opportunities to improve efficiency. Is there anything you can do to eliminate or reduce the impact of these?

If you rely on shallow dams, the amount of water lost to evaporation can be substantial over summer. In this situation it is worth considering pumping water from shallow dams to deeper ones, if practical.

This will reduce the amount of water lost in evaporation. In a predicted dry season it is worth making every litre of water count.

Are there leaking troughs or pipes on your farm? Fixing these could potentially save you a lot of water.

If you collect water from your dairy/ hay shed roof, make sure all gutters and pipes are clean so maximum water is collected.

Another area you could potentially save water is through recycling. Are there areas you could use recycled water instead of fresh water?

Perhaps you could recycle water for yard wash rather than use fresh water, to free up some fresh, drinking water.

Along with areas you can recycle water, your second pond effluent is also a great source of water and nutrients.

Obviously, recycled water is only suitable for some purposes. You could use your effluent on your summer crop.

If you normally irrigate, you could save some fresh water by shandying with second pond effluent.

Second pond effluent is suitable to apply to both single graze and regrowth summer crops.

If you are going to apply to a single graze crop, such as turnips, then the effluent should be applied in one application in the rapid growth phase (about six to eight weeks after sowing).

If a regrowth summer crop is being grown, applications can be split and applied, firstly in the rapid growth phase and then directly after the first grazing.

Application rates should be determined by the nitrogen content of the effluent so, if possible get it tested as these values can vary widely.

As with applying effluent to pasture, do not graze for at least three weeks following effluent application to reduce the potential animal health risks.

If you are short of water this year, make every litre count. Get an idea of how much you are likely to need, how much you have and then you can start to plan how you are going to get through.