Irrigation
Management
Getting permanent water timing right
The timing of permanent water (PW) in drill-sown rice can influence crop development, weed control, nitrogen-use efficiency, water use, yield potential, harvest timing and grain quality. This fact sheet outlines the key factors to consider when deciding when to apply PW in CY27.
Growing rice with groundwater Fact Sheet 2019
Rice growers need to manage ground water to ensure there is no impact on rice yield. This article explains the issues, gives tips on water management, lists thresholds and key conversions and answers commonly asked questions.
Case Study - Darrell Fiddler - The profitability of delaying permanent water
Bilbul irrigator, Darrell Fiddler, aims for the most profitable crop, which is not always the highest yielding. In the high water price years since 2013/14, the rice, cotton and winter cereal grower has been drill sowing rice and delaying the permanent water for up to nine weeks after the first flush.
Straighthead in Australian rice crops
Straighthead is a ‘physiological’ disorder of rice which causes floret sterility and reduced grain yield. The symptoms are only obvious at panicle emergence and it is often confused with cold induced sterility, particularly in less severe cases.
Delaying permanent water on drill sown rice
Delayed permanent water (DPW) has proven to be a successful alternative water management practice for rice growing that provides considerable water savings and significant financial benefit.
Rice water depth management at microspore
Rice water depth management at microspore is critical in protecting the developing panicle from cold-induced floret sterility which can lead to large reductions in rice grain yield at harvest.
Estimated water use budget
How much water you will use depends on how much water is in the paddock now, the date you plan to drain the crop, and how much water is drained off the crop.
Use the tables in our fact sheet to calculate an estimate of how much more water you will need.
Water depth markers - An essential tool for good establishment
Shallow water depth management during establishment of ponded rice crops is key to achieving high yields and water use efficiency. In shallow water, the seedling grows to the surface faster to commence photosynthesis to support more growth, better root development, develop biomass and less wind damage occurs, compared to seedlings in deep water.
Mid-season drainage of rice
Mid-season drainage has been used by some rice growers particularly in the central and western Murray Valley for a number of years as a management tool to help avoid straighthead.
How to save 2.5 ML/ha water growing rice 2014
Considerable water savings can be made by changing from aerial to drill sowing and then further water savings can be achieved by delaying the timing of the application of permanent water.
Factors to consider when draining rice
Deciding when to drain the water from your rice crop for harvest is one of the most important and difficult decisions in rice growing. In draining you must meet two objectives:
Proven benefits of delayed permanent water in rice
Research conducted on both red-brown earth and self-mulching clay soils has shown that rice copes well with the moisture stress and that delayed permanent water leads to considerable water savings with only a small decline in grain yield.
Have I enough water to finish my rice crop?
Monthly water budgets to compare crop water requirements and available allocations are very important. If crop needs are likely to exceed supply then decisions about buying extra water or reducing the area of rice by draining must be made.