About

GRDC is seeking a supplier for a national analysis to synthesise evidence from previous GRDC irrigated agriculture investments and assess priority opportunities to improve profitability from irrigated grain cropping systems by maximising profit per megalitre of irrigation water rather than yield or water-use efficiency alone. The work must consider agronomic and economic drivers influencing irrigated crop decisions (including water availability, water price, input costs, seasonal conditions, crop potential, crop end use, rotations and whole-farm water allocation), assess how irrigation delivery systems and practices (surface or furrow and pressurised sprinkler systems) interact with soil physical constraints and crop management to affect crop performance, input efficiency and profit per megalitre, consider competition or interactions with other irrigated enterprises where relevant (rice, cotton, forages and mixed farming systems), review existing irrigation and crop decision-support tools to determine if they meet grower needs, and assess whether practical economic tools or decision frameworks are required to support timely irrigation research investment decisions across winter and summer cropping scenarios. The final deliverable will be a clear, evidence-based report identifying priority research gaps, high-leverage agronomic opportunities and practical recommendations to guide future GRDC investment in irrigated agronomy at national and regional scales.