Objective 

Irrigation systems are critical for food production and supporting regional economies. The efficiency of these systems plays an important role in the sustainable use of fresh water. By supplementing irrigation systems with ICT infrastructure including sensors, actuators and communication networks, it is possible to dramatically increase water-use efficiency and productivity of farming enterprises.

The Water Information Networks (WIN) project has developed an innovative wireless sensor network platform that leverages real-time closed-loop control to improve the productivty of farming enterprises by increasing the efficiency of water-use. The technology has been successfully demonstrated in several field trials across dairy, horticulture and viticulture enterprises.

Our Approach

• Leverage low-power, secure and easy-to-use wireless sensor networks to provide on-farm sensing.
• Provide wide area sensor network coverage using mesh networking.
• Develop simplified models of plants and soil by exploiting system identification.
• Employ robust closed-control loop control to optimize crop yield under water supply constraints.
• Collaborate with strategic research and commercial partners to ensure technology outcomes can be incorporated into modern farming enterprises.
  

Key Milestones

• Developed the NICTOR™ wireless sensor network platform optimized for monitoring and managing irrigation systems in farming enterprises.
• Successfully completed field trials, between 2005 and 2008, at four sites across Victoria's Goulburn Valley. The trials have been sponsored by the Victorian Government under a $4.5M Science, Technology and Innovation grant.
  
• A commercialization process is underway through engagements with local SMEs in the agricultural services sector.
  

What Have We Achieved?

WIN's innovations in sensing and real-time closed-loop control on the farm have resulted in the following end-user benefits:

DAIRY (irrigation for pasture production)

• 26% water savings per irrigation season (ML of water)
  
• 27% improvement in water productivity (tonnes of dry matter / ML of water)
  
• 38% improvement in gross margin (AU$ / hectare / year)
• Lower peak demand on irrigation water distribution system resulting in improved quality of service to other irrigators

 HORTICULTURE (irrigation for Pink Lady apple orchard)

• 73% increase in gross returns (AU$ / hectare)
  
• 74% increase in economic water productivity (AU$ / ML of water)
  

Source: STI program "Regional and economic benefits through smarter irrigation", 2005 - 2008. Gains benchmarked against fixed-schedule irrigation systems.

Research Team

Bryan Beresford-Smith, Mark Halpern, Iven Mareels, Su Ki Ooi, Anthony Overmars, Minh Pham, Wanzhi Qiu, Khusro Saleem, Stan Skafidas, Gavin Thoms