Seth Laurenson (PhD Student)
University of South Australia

Project Title
The effects of recycled water irrigation on soil properties and how this influences grape vine performance

Biography
Seth has recently arrived from New Zealand to join CERAR. Previously in New Zealand Seth was researching the sustainable use of recycled water within dariy farming production. He has a special interest in the effects of recycled water and effluent irrigation on soil fertility and values the need to provide sound advice and information to farm managers and the horticultural industry. Seth’s work at CERAR will investigate best management practices for using recycled water in vineyards with emphasis on maintaining soil physical and biological health and achieving desirable vine performance.

Start Date
April 2007

Project Details
Access to suitable irrigation water is essential to sustain the economic feasibility of the South Australian wine industry. Currently vineyards consume around 15% of the State’s available fresh water. One initiative to safeguard grape growers against future water shortages is to better utilise alternative water sources such as recycled water from municipal sewage treatment plants.

When managed correctly, re-using sewage water can facilitate the re-cycling of valuable nutrients and water back into vineyard productions and reduce surface water pollution by alleviating discharge volumes. Paramount to the success of such systems however, is a need to assure growers that quality and quantity of grape yields will be sustained and the on-going protection of the soils biological, physical and chemical properties is maintained.

This project will look at the long term effects of recycled water irrigation on soil properties with an interest toward maintaining soil quality. Research will involve investigations into the complex interaction between soil biological, physical and chemical functions so as to determine how these functions are affected by sewage recycled water irrigation.

This study aims to provide best management advice to grape growers, wine industry and sewage water providers interested in maintaining soil health and achieve desirable grape quality and quantity outcomes when using recycled water for irrigation.