Resources / Horticulture / Irrigation efficiency
Horticulture · Soil & nutrition · Water

Irrigation efficiency

88% application efficiency

The share of applied irrigation taken up in the root zone rather than lost to runoff or deep drainage. In a region where every megalitre is metered, separately traded and paid for, application efficiency is a direct dollar as well as an environmental figure.

Worked example · Water to root zone ÷ applied
88% Target 85% Root zone 88% Lost 12%
Water to root zone ÷ applied
The benchmark

Well-designed and maintained drip and micro-sprinkler systems can deliver application efficiencies of around 85–90%, well above flood or poorly-maintained systems where much of the water is lost below the root zone.

Agriculture Victoria — Water ↗
What it signals

Low efficiency is water and money draining past the roots, and often nitrogen leaching with it. A high, steady figure means the system and scheduling are matched to the crop; a falling one flags blocked emitters, poor uniformity or over-watering.

Data required to calculate
Water appliedML/haSoil-moisture in root zonemmDrainage below root zonemm

Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses, and keeps the figure current automatically.

How to improve it
01

Schedule to soil-moisture sensors and crop water demand.

02

Audit and maintain emitter uniformity across every block.

03

Split irrigations into shorter, more frequent sets on lighter soils.

Questions & answers

What is irrigation efficiency?

The share of applied irrigation taken up in the root zone rather than lost to runoff or deep drainage. In a region where every megalitre is metered, separately traded and paid for, application efficiency is a direct dollar as well as an environmental figure.

What data do you need to calculate irrigation efficiency?

You need: Water applied (ML/ha), Soil-moisture in root zone (mm), Drainage below root zone (mm). Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses and keeps the figure current automatically.

What is a good irrigation efficiency benchmark?

Well-designed and maintained drip and micro-sprinkler systems can deliver application efficiencies of around 85–90%, well above flood or poorly-maintained systems where much of the water is lost below the root zone.

How do you improve irrigation efficiency?

Schedule to soil-moisture sensors and crop water demand. Audit and maintain emitter uniformity across every block. Split irrigations into shorter, more frequent sets on lighter soils.

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