On The Land
4 July, 2026
Making the most of irrigation
A FREE irrigation workshop to be held at Tolga this Friday will focus on how growers can save water and reduce run-off and waste.
The precision irrigation workshop, will be hosted at DeLai’s Farm in Tolga on 3 July, will give growers practical tools to save water, reduce run-off and waste, improve system performance and get more value from every irrigation event.
The Queensland Government funded workshop is an initiative of Queensland Fruit and Vegetable Growers and will bring together irrigation, crop monitoring and horticulture specialists to discuss how growers can assess irrigation performance, use plant and soil monitoring tools, and make more informed irrigation scheduling decisions.
The program will also explore how improved irrigation practices can help save water and keep nutrients on-farm and out of our waterways.
Ross Pillar from Thinkwater will present on irrigation audits, with a focus on effective system performance, energy savings, measuring irrigation uniformity, water re-use, water sources and water quality.
Rod Luke from Crop Nexus will discuss continuous crop monitoring and the importance of plant growth data for precision management, including how monitoring tools can help growers better understand plant water use, growth and productivity.
Kelvin Montague from Applied Horticultural Research will present on optimising irrigation, meeting crop demand and improving irrigation application for better water quality outcomes.
His sessions will cover soil moisture, water balance, tree measurements, crop water use, critical irrigation periods, fertigation, nutrient loss and soil water storage.
The workshop will also include practical insights into soil texture, soil structure, rooting depth, water balance models, and irrigation strategies for managing disease and crop quality issues.
A field walk will give growers the opportunity to see a precision irrigation set-up and monitoring equipment in action.
The workshop will be held from 8am to 4pm on Friday 3 July at DeLai’s Farm, 85 Koch Road, Tolga. Attendees can RSVP online (www.qfvg.com.au/events) or by calling or texting Paula Ibell on 0498 119 633.
The event is free for horticulture growers, and all growers are welcome to attend.
