Study Of Water Use And Environmental Aspects Of Rice Growing

Abstract

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has agreed to a nationwide approach to water reform. The outcomes of the reform process are already having an impact on irrigation and ricegrowing and further impacts can be expected. Such changes should affect the direction of some of the future research to be undertaken by the Co-operative Research Centre for Sustainable Rice Production. The long-term sustainability of irrigation systems in arid zones has been shown, world wide, to have technical difficulties. As ricegrowing in arid zones is absolutely dependent on irrigation it is obvious the eventual sustainability of rice is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the irrigation systems as a whole. If irrigation systems start to fail for whatever reason (e.g. environmental degradation, water allocated to other purposes) then ricegrowing will decline. It is recognised that ricegrowing, as an irrigation activity, contributes to the environmental problems associated with irrigation. It is thus of fundamental importance to have a full understanding of this aspect of ricegrowing. It is also important that current rice farming practices and research efforts are adequately addressing such issues. This study examines the extent of ricegrowing as the predominant irrigation activity in the Murrumbidgee and Murray Valleys of New South Wales. Past and current policies of governments are reviewed in relation to access to water for irrigation and its use for ricegrowing. Data has been compiled on rice production, water availability, water use, ground watertables and salinity as these relate to the rice industry.