VARIwise Summary Australian Cotton Conference 2026

Infield and remote sensing technologies have enabled the Australian cotton industry to be a world
leader in water use efficiency, and new irrigation approaches can help continue to improve crop water
productivity. One such approach is utilising cotton’s sensitivity to water stress in different growth
stages for irrigation management – where mild water stress in some growth stages does not impact
yield or quality and can improve yield.

An irrigation technology ‘VARIwise’ has been developed that incorporates yield forecasting to inform smarter
irrigation decisions. In research trials, VARIwise delivered 5% in water savings and 5% productivity
improvements. The aim of this project is  project is to develop VARIwise into a tool that can easily interface with any on-farm sensor and irrigation system whist meeting end user needs.