Improving water use efficiency is a high priority for Australian agriculture, especially given continuing dry conditions.
NSW DPI, in partnership with the Cotton Research and Development Corporation, have been monitoring water productivity in irrigated cotton over the last decade. The objective of this work has been to facilitate continuous improvement in water use efficiency and establish a benchmark that a grower can compare their performance against.This work has identified significant gains in water productivity and irrigation efficiency by Australian cotton growers over recent years. Overall, Australian cotton growers have significantly increased yields and decreased irrigation inputs.