DAIRY farmer Danny Bergamin is squeezing more feed out of less water on his Waaia irrigation property in Victoria.
He has installed 24ha of sub-surface irrigation and would love to push the total to 40ha.
"I'm using it (sub-surface) to grow lucerne, because protein is the hardest thing to get for cows," Mr Bergamin said.
The pump and filtration system he installed has the capacity to water 40ha.
"If I had a $4000 (on-farm water savings) grant I'd do the rest of the place (the remaining 16ha)," Mr Bergamin said.
Mr Bergamin's first step into sub-surface irrigation was in the spring of 2005, when he established just five hectares.
He said conditions were looking dry and he'd been impressed by a sub-surface system he'd seen on an Undera property.
Since then he's been stunned by the capacity of the system to deliver high-quality lucerne, which he makes into silage.
"My production is now more than 25 tonnes a hectare with the lucerne," he said.
"I'm cutting the lucerne every 28 days, seven times in the season, getting about 200 rolls of silage from each cut."
The costs so far of the sub-surface irrigation installation have been:
- $24,000 to connect three-phase power to the site (less $6000 state-government rebate, via DPI).
- $15,000 for the installation and purchase of pumps and filtration system (capable of supplying 40ha).
- $6250/ha sub-surface irrigation pipes, tube and valves, materials only.
- Installed tape using own tube layer.
Total cost was $189,000 on 24ha or $289,000 on 40ha.
Total cost per hectare was $7875/ha on 24ha or $7225/ha on 40ha.
Water savings were five megalitres a hectare (was using 12 megalitres/ha with flood irrigation on pasture. Now down to seven megalitres/ha).
Mr Bergamin says properly maintained, sub-surface systems could still operate after 20-30 years.
