The Water Dashboard: Empowering cotton growers to harness the power of data
Introduction
Water is a precious resource for Australian cotton growers, and understanding its availability is crucial for making informed decisions. In a ground-breaking collaboration, Goanna Ag, Cotton Seed Distributors (CSD), and the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) have joined forces to develop a revolutionary online tool called the Water Dashboard. This innovative platform aims to provide real-time insights into a grower's water account, empowering them to enhance water use and improve overall farm management. Let's explore how the Water Dashboard will transform the way growers monitor and manage their water resources.
Accurate water management made easy
Traditionally, growers have faced challenges in accurately assessing their water resources, relying on estimated or potentially inaccurate figures. However, with the Water Dashboard, they will have access to real-time data from government resources and on-farm sensors. These sensors record crucial information, such as storage dam, bore, and channel levels, as well as the water content in fields. By consolidating this data, the Water Dashboard provides growers with an accurate and comprehensive snapshot of their water account.
Transforming decision-making
Dr. Michael Bange, CSD's Commercial Research Manager, highlights the significance of the Water Dashboard in helping growers make informed decisions. By providing a real-time overview of their water resources, growers can implement best management practices more effectively. The ability to monitor their water account in real-time is truly a game-changer, enabling growers to streamline irrigation practices, plan for future water availability, generate reports, and estimate efficiency.
Intuitive and user-friendly
John Pattinson, Chief Development Officer at Goanna Ag, describes the Water Dashboard as an intuitive tool that farmers can easily understand. Drawing an analogy to an online bank account or a fuel tank gauge, the Water Dashboard simplifies the complex task of monitoring water levels and availability. By presenting information in a user-friendly format, growers can quickly assess the status of their water resources and make timely decisions based on real-time data.
Unlocking additional benefits
As the Water Dashboard is being trialled with growers, its potential applications are becoming increasingly evident. One notable feature is the concept of "origin of water," which allows growers to track the water's journey across the farm before it is used for irrigation. This level of insight enables a deeper understanding of water movement and empowers growers to fine-tune their irrigation strategies.
The path to the future
Goanna Ag is leading the development of the Water Dashboard and working closely with growers to refine its functionality. The platform is currently being tested and evaluated, with the goal of a broader release for the 2024/25 season. While the initial trials uses Goanna Ag's sensor technology, the Water Dashboard is designed to be compatible with data from any sensor brand, offering growers flexibility and choice.
Aligned with industry objectives
The Water Dashboard aligns with CRDC's Strategic RD&E Plan, Clever Cotton, which aims to enhance productivity, profitability, and sustainability in the cotton industry. By transforming raw data into actionable insights, the Water Dashboard supports the plan's objective of accurately monitoring and measuring every field on every cotton farm. Allan Williams, CRDC's General Manager of Innovation, underlines the tangible benefits of the Water Dashboard in facilitating beneficial decision-making for growers.
Conclusion
The Water Dashboard developed by Goanna Ag, CSD, and CRDC represents a significant breakthrough in water resource management for Australian cotton growers. By providing real-time access to accurate data on water availability, the dashboard empowers growers to make informed decisions and enhance their water use. As the Water Dashboard continues to undergo trials and refinement, it holds the promise of transforming how growers monitor and manage their water resources, ultimately leading to increased productivity, profitability, and sustainability in the cotton industry.
For more information on the Water Dashboard or to be included in the upcoming season trials, please contact Goanna Ag at communications@goannaag.com.au.
