Research activities

Water has a direct impact on the sustainability and viability of lifestyle horticulture businesses and associated maintenance trades (such as those servicing golf courses, sportsfields, public parks and gardens).

The Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) provides research and education on water issues and water use efficiency for the lifestyle horticulture sector. The aim is to help lifestyle businesses:

• better manage water use
• save on water costs
• improve efficiency
• reduce business water consumption.

This is of particular importance in selected regions of Queensland where Water Efficiency Management Plans (WEMPs) are mandatory.

Water use efficiency project

• Innovative irrigation and water recycling techniques in Australian nurseries
  How predictive financial modelling and retrofitting can deliver water and cost savings.
• Irrigation scheduling with soil moisture sensors-adaption to containerised production nurseries
• Results of a discounted cash flow analysis
  The costs and benefits of retrofitting best-practice irrigation systems in four production nurseries.

Water use in cut flower crops

• Wildflower irrigation scheduling project
• Using mulch on commercial native cut flowers

Water quality

• Water quality sampling
  How to determine your collection site, sample storage and links to accredited testing laboratories
• Interpretation of water analysis for irrigation
  Common laboratory results and examples including electrical conductivity, total dissolved salts, pH, turbidity, hardness and specific ions.
• Effects of water quality on soil, plants and irrigation equipment

Further information

• Lifestyle horticulture contacts