UKIA members

UKIA arranges events for members incl. technical visits, meetings and a spring conference on irrigation issues of the day.

We now accept credit card payment  for all our events T: 01427 717627

FREE one-day events

UK Irrigation Association 2008 Summer programme

Tuesday 9th Sept in Shropshire and 11th Sept in Cambridgeshire

Managing irrigation

Tues 9th Sept 2008

Host: Richard Solari

Richard Solari Farms Ltd

Heath House Farm

Beckbury, Shifnal

Shropshire TF11 9DA

Thurs 11th Sept 2008

Host: Will Forbes

Riverfen Farms Ltd

Plantation House Farm

Lynn Road, Littleport

Cambridge CB7 4TD

 

10.00

Registration and coffee
10.30

Welcome and introduction  Chairman: Host farmer
10.45

The future of water resources Environment Agency
11.05

Applying water adequately and uniformly Jerry Knox, Cranfield University
11.30

Why schedule - does it pay? Tim Hess, Cranfield University consultant
12.00

Scheduling in practice  Simon Turner, Agri-tech Services
12.30

Lunch
13.15

Practical farm demonstrations -  Incl. Agri-tech Services, Delta T, Peter White,  Peter Rickard
15.25

Question time
15.30

Tea and depart

To Register  E: s.brooks@ukia.org or T 01427 717627 or Fx 01427 717624

These one-day events are organised by Cranfield University with support from UKIA and sponsored by Defra Innovation Network and the Environment Agency. The organisers would like to acknowledge the support of Richard Solari, Richard Solari Farms Ltd and Will Forbes, Riverfen Farms Ltd for hosting these events. 

09 30

Registration and coffee

10.00

Welcome and introduction  Chairman: Mark Hall, Hall Hunter Partnership, Wokingham

10.05

Future water resources strategy  Andy Turner, Environment Agency

10.35

Building a reservoir – the right option?
Keith Weatherhead, Cranfield University

11.05

Sharing a reservoir  Robert Smith, Russell Smith Farms, Duxford (to be confirmed)

11.20

Coffee break

11.40

Concept to commissioning  Andrew Hawes, Stephen Hawes Associates

12.10

Getting through planning speaker to be confirmed

12.30

Lunch and trade stands

13.30

Enhancing the landscape and the natural environment

Stephen Podd, FWAG

14.00

A reservoir close to an SSSI  Michael Paul, Kirton Estate, Suffolk

14.15

Design and build—a contractor’s perspective  Robert Orford, Miles-water

14.45

Costs, finance, and funding Robin Turney, R Turney Associates

15.15

Question Time

 

15.30

Round up summary  Chairman Mark Hall, Hall Hunter Partnership

 

15.45

Tea and Depart

09 30

Registration and coffee

10.00

Welcome and introduction  Chairman: Mark Hall, Hall Hunter Partnership, Wokingham

10.05

Future water resources strategy  Andy Turner, Environment Agency

10.35

Building a reservoir – the right option?
Keith Weatherhead, Cranfield University

11.05

Sharing a reservoir  Robert Smith, Russell Smith Farms, Duxford (to be confirmed)

11.20

Coffee break

11.40

Concept to commissioning  Andrew Hawes, Stephen Hawes Associates

12.10

Getting through planning speaker to be confirmed

12.30

Lunch and trade stands

13.30

Enhancing the landscape and the natural environment

Stephen Podd, FWAG

14.00

A reservoir close to an SSSI  Michael Paul, Kirton Estate, Suffolk

14.15

Design and build—a contractor’s perspective  Robert Orford, Miles-water

14.45

Costs, finance, and funding Robin Turney, R Turney Associates

15.15

Question Time

 

15.30

Round up summary  Chairman Mark Hall, Hall Hunter Partnership

 

15.45

Tea and Depart

 

Papers for download from UKIA conferences

UK Irrigation Association 2007 Spring seminar

Powerpoint presentations available in just click on the speaker's name to download)

Abstracts of papers also available in click here

 Climate changing UK irrigation in a global market

How can irrigators adapt to the changes?

Thursday 1st March 2007

East of England Show Ground Peterborough

Climate change will mean hotter, drier summers for the UK.  But the full impact on irrigated agriculture in this country will be determined as much by climate change across Europe, Africa, and beyond – in the countries that export produce to the UK. 

This conference is an opportunity for farmers, growers, advisers, and government agencies to explore the implications of climate change from this global market perspective.  It will examine the potential impacts on the supply and demand for water in the UK; the likely impacts on cropping; how farmers and growers might adapt to change; how climate change is being viewed in Europe and beyond; and what this will mean for irrigators in the UK.

Get the facts from the people who know and find out how this is likely to affect your business and your plans for the future.

Guest speaker: Sean Rickard

Sean is well-known in the press, TV and radio for his outspoken and often critical views on UK agriculture.  He will use his crystal ball to examine the future challenges facing UK agriculture in a global market as we begin to feel the influences of climate change.

PROGRAMME

Chairman: Kevin Hiscock  University of East Anglia

 

09.30

Registration and coffee

10.00

Welcome and Introduction

10.10

Climate change and its potential impacts   Roger Street UKCIP  0.7mb

The UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) helps organisations to assess how they might be affected climate change, so they can prepare for its impact.  Roger is Technical Director for this programme and will provide an overview of climate change and how it might impact on irrigated agriculture, amenity, and sports.

11.00

Coffee break

11.30

Do we have enough water? Nigel Arnell, University of Southampton 1.6mb

Nigel is Deputy Leader of the Adaptation Programme at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change – the UK’s main research centre developing sustainable responses to climate change.  Nigel will discuss the effects of climate change on river flows and groundwater recharge and how this might impact on the CAMS process and water supplies.

12.10

How much water do we need – how can irrigators adapt to change? 
Keith Weatherhead, Cranfield University 1.6mb

Keith has undertaken extensive research into what might happen to future water demands for irrigation.  He will present an overview of recent predictions and farmer responses to adaptation.

12.50

Lunch

13.50

Challenges facing UK agriculture in a global market Sean Rickard, Cranfield University 0.2mb

Sean is well known in the press, TV and radio for his outspoken and often critical views on UK agriculture.  He will use his crystal ball to examine the future challenges facing UK agriculture in a global market as we begin to feel the influences of climate change.

14.35

Climate changing cropping  Rachael Warren, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research 0.8mb

Climate will also determine what crops we can grow.  Rachael will present the results of her recent investigations for the Stern Report on the impacts of climate change on the world’s staple crops – wheat, maize and rice – and the lessons we might learn about irrigated production.

15.15

The Dutch experience  Peter Droogers FutureWater, The Netherlands 8mb

Peter is a leading Dutch specialist in climate change impact assessments in agriculture.  He will explain how The Netherlands is approaching climate change and which are influenced by a European and global perspective – his recent experiences are in China and Sri Lanka.

16.00

A round-up and summary of the day  Symon Murch, Farmer 0.9mb

16.15

Chairman’s concluding remarks.

16.20

Tea and Depart
 

One-day Spring seminar 2006, Peterborough  (presentations now available for download)

A pathway to efficient irrigation

Protecting your abstraction licence – is water auditing enough?

Special guest speaker: Dr Elias Fereres, A leading irrigation specialist and advisor to the Spanish government on irrigated agriculture

Sponsored by – Briggs Irrigation, Cranfield University, Environment Agency, Grundfos, IAgrE, JDIH, Mills & Reeve, Revaho, UVO3

Irrigators will need to demonstrate efficient use of water when they apply for or renew their abstraction licences. It will be one of the key tests according to an Environment Agency consultation paper on time-limiting arrangements for licences. Water audits are suggested as a means of clarifying just what water use efficiency means and how it can be measured.  So what is a water audit and how should it be implemented? Is it the right approach to assessing efficiency? Will water audits be enough to demonstrate ‘efficient’, ‘wise’ or ‘best’ use of irrigation water? This conference sets out  a pathway to efficiency.

PROGRAMME

Chairman: James Dodds

09 30

Registration and coffee

10 00

Welcome and Introduction

10 10

A pathway to irrigation efficiency Jerry Knox, Cranfield University

Jerry will set out the pathway to efficiency, introduce the concepts of water auditing and describe recent work undertaken to establish auditing procedures. 

10.40

An Environment Agency perspective John Aldrick, Environment Agency

John will present an Agency’s view on water auditing and the initial outcomes from the consultation on the arrangements for time-limiting licensing which lists efficient use of water as one of the key tests for licence renewal.

11 10

Coffee break

11.40

Water audits for indoor crops  Christopher Burgess, Horticultural consultant

Those who grow crops indoors in the UK are already well advanced with water audits and automatic watering systems. Christopher explains how this is done, the experience with audits and what lessons there may be for outdoor cropping.

12.10

Water audits for outdoor crops  Nolwenn Geuzou, AP Greenvale

Some growers are already auditing their irrigation water use. Nolwenn explains how this is being done and the challenges facing growers on what to measure and how to do it.

12.40

Lunch

13.40

A view of irrigation from Spain Elias Fereres

Elias, a leading irrigation specialist from Spain, will describe the challenges facing Spanish irrigators as they implement the Water Framework Directive and explain how they are dealing with irrigation efficiency in an environment of water scarcity.

14.30

New technologies to improve irrigation efficiency  Peter Van Emmerik, Revaho BV

Peter will critically assess current technologies and practices in Europe to see how they can help to improve water use efficiency on the farm.

15.10

Can benchmarking help? Martin Burton, Director ITAD Water

Martin is the co-author of a book on Irrigation and Drainage Performance Assessment and he will argue that benchmarking is one way of assessing irrigation performance based on recent experience from Australia.

15.40

Is water auditing enough? Prof Joe Morris, Cranfield University

Joe will look beyond the immediate issues of water auditing on the farm and ask is this enough? Given increasing pressures on water resources in future, agriculture must demonstrate that irrigation is a valid use of water, from economic, social and environmental viewpoints, and that farmers are using water wisely.

16.10

A round-up and summary of the day  Tim Jolly, Roudham Farms

16.20

Chairman’s concluding remarks.

16.30

Tea and Depart
 

 

Visit the ICID website for international events in irrigation. Next major event is in Kuala Lumpa in Sept 2006.

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