Michael Trautwein is a stone fruit grower at Pike River, north east of Renmark, with 44 hectares of irrigated nectarines and peaches.
With the longest picking season in Australia, lasting from October to March, producing consistently high quality produce of the right size to meet the market requirements is of utmost importance. Applying the right amount of water at the right time plays a major role in achieving this.
Michael first purchased a Sentek EnviroSCAN system in 1992 to help him with his water management. He now owns close to 60 EnviroSCAN probes, installed right across his property.
Soil water data from multiple depths in the soil profile is logged continuously, providing Michael with a complete picture of how each block is performing.
Viewing the information in Sentek’s IrriMAX software, Michael has learnt important lessons about his water management.
Having the key information at his fingertips, he has been able to change his irrigation management to use water more effectively.
He can keep the moisture within the active root zone (and not over-water) and adjust moisture levels through the growing season to optimise tree health and fruit quality.
He finds that the data is valuable in showing up mistakes, but also where improvements can be made.
Twenty years on, Michael still finds the information crucial to fine-tuning his management and says that you are always learning something.
The reliability of the systems, serviced and supported by the local dealer AgriExchange, means that he is still using some of the original EnviroSCAN probes installed 20 years ago and still getting an ongoing return on investment.
When asked if he would have been okay without EnviroSCAN, Michael said “No, we would not have been okay! If I was never exposed to EnviroSCAN I would think I would be alright. But having been exposed, I know that I would not be alright!”
For photos and contact deetails, see the May-June 2012 issue of Tree Fruit magazine
