28 IREC Farmers' Newsletter No. 199 — Autumn 2018 IDEAS AND EXCHANGES WITH IRRIGATORS IN THE NORTH QUICK TAKE l The Maximising Irrigation Profitability or ‘Max’ project provided southern irrigators with an opportunity to see how their counterparts in northern New South Wales manage water. l  The annual Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association field day at Keytah was the target event of the tour. A highlight of the field day was an eight- year old, four-way comparison of irrigation systems. The Keytah operation is adopting an automated bankless system inspired by both the comparison trial and irrigation systems visited during the IREC Automation tour in 2017. l  Irrigation with a big difference in layout and scale was witnessed at Cubbie Station, which has a 22,000 ha developed for irrigation from a total area of 93,000 ha. Southern irrigators recently travelled north to see research, technology and operations that might inspire them to adopt systems and practices to lift efficiency and profitability. Iva Quarisa Executive Officer IREC TWENTY three irrigation growers and industry representatives from the Murrumbidgee and Murray valleys headed north in early February for the 2018 Maximising Irrigation Profitability tour, co-hosted by IREC and Southern Valleys Cotton Growers Association. The tour took the group to a range of interesting sites, which included: l  Central West Farming Systems (CWFS) Research Innovation Hub (RIH) at Condobolin l  Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association field day at Keytah, Moree l  Ed Willis’ property at Thallon — Ed was the 2007 and 2012 Cotton Grower of the Year l  Craig Saunders’ St George property where a Glenn Lyons designed bankless channel layout is installed The tour group walking through the cotton at Craig Saunders’ property at St George, where the crop inspired good discussion on 30 versus 40 inch row spacings.