DRYLAND FARMER TURNS TO IRRIGATION

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32274, 17 April 1970, Page 7

DRYLAND FARMER TURNS TO IRRIGATION

Having pushed dryland farming as far as they could, Mr B. K. Cameron told members of the irrigation committee of the . Water Allocation Council who visited the property of B. K. and N. R. Cameron, which is in the area of the proposed BarrhiU • Rakaia - Pendarves irrigation scheme some eight to nine miles from Ashburton, that they had decided to try irrigation.

When they had taken over the 500-acres property seven

years ago in an area of 27in rainfall, he said that stocking was at the rate of three pwp AniiivalAntc tn th* nrrp

For the last two years he said they had been at the level of about six to seven ewe equivalents and this he described as “fairly nerve shattering" dryland farming. “You have to move quickly when it gets dry,” he added, and he would not

like to go much further without irrigation. A bore put down beside the woolshed on the property had yielded 12,000 gallons of water an hour. Geologists had been surprised at this happening in this area, he said. The irrigation plant has 6in and 4in mains and two

spraylines from the 4in mains.

Irrigation is being applied to 180 acres and in the circumstances he said it was imperative that they be very selective in the crops that they watered. The intention was to devote half the area to cash crops which required only one or two waterings a year, and the balance to support crops such as fodder beet and also broad red clover.

Stating that they had been most satisfied with the broad red clover, Mr Cameron said that they had taken an estimated 4001 b of lamb meat off it to the acre and expected to do better next season.

It could ’be oversowed with Tama westerwolds ryegrass for winter growth and several thousand pounds of dry matter taken off it during the winter and then the clover would come up again.

The carrying of the fodder beet to the sheep by machine was being looked at, he said.

It was proposed to put the dryland area of the farm into lucerne as quickly as possible. It was conservatively estimated that profits would be increased by $3OOO a year as a result. Some $12,000 was involved in plant but some of this expenditure could be attributed to the homestead as a domestic supply was being incorporated in the project and stock water was being extended to

six paddocks which were without water races.

If water was applied for: 24 hours a day for six or seven months, with a special rate being allowed for power for six months, the power) cost would be $7OO. interest on capital would amount to another $7OO and with $3OO for repairs, etc., the total operating cost would be $l7OO a year. Total) production as a result would > be lifted by $5OOO to $7OOO a year.

With a spray plant in conjunction with dryland lucerne he said he felt carrying capacity could be raised by two ewe equivalents to the acre and with border dyke irrigation of the whole farm stock carrying could be taken still further.

Whereas two ewe equivalents would lift gross margins per acre by $lO, he said that irrigating of wheat, giv-j ing a boost in yields of 20 bushels to the acre, could)

lift the gross margin by $2O.

Mr Cameron suggested that from a labour point of view the new system would involve work substitution rather than additional work —instead of being on a tractor he would be shifting pipes.