El Niño is attracting plenty of attention as farmers look ahead to the coming irrigation season.
Current forecasts indicate New Zealand will enter an El Niño phase during winter 2026, which will strengthen through spring and summer. While no two El Niño events are the same, they are commonly associated with stronger westerly winds and an increased likelihood of drier conditions in eastern regions.
For Canterbury and Otago farmers, that means greater irrigation demand and less room for equipment failures or missed watering opportunities. DairyNZ’s current guidance is to plan early, regularly review conditions and retain flexibility as the season develops.
That same approach should be applied to irrigation.
Don’t wait until irrigation is critical
When conditions are relatively forgiving, an irrigation fault may be inconvenient. During a sustained dry period, the same fault can quickly affect soil moisture, pasture growth and feed supply.
The start of the season is therefore the time to confirm that the entire irrigation system is working - not just that water comes out when it is switched on.
A good pre-season check should include:
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Checking pressure and flow throughout the system.
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Identifying leaks, blockages and poorly performing sprinklers.
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Testing controllers, valves and communications.
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Checking soil-moisture sensors and other monitoring equipment.
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Ensuring everyone responsible for irrigation understands how to use the system.
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Reviewing the system’s available features and functions, including alerts and remote controls.
Completing these checks early provides time to resolve problems before demand increases and irrigation windows become more important.
Visibility matters in a high-demand season
It can be difficult to know whether irrigation is being applied as planned, particularly across larger farms or solid-set systems with many individual sprinklers.
A controller may show that a programme has started, but that does not necessarily confirm that every valve has opened or every sprinkler is applying water correctly. Without visibility across the system, faults may remain undetected until pasture stress becomes visible - and by then, some production may already have been lost.
Remote monitoring can help farmers see what is operating, identify problems earlier and reduce the need to physically inspect every part of the system.
Be ready to adapt
El Niño does not guarantee drought, and its effects will vary between regions and farms. That uncertainty makes flexibility especially important.
Soil type, rainfall, wind, pasture demand and available water all influence when and how much to irrigate. A fixed programme established at the beginning of the season may not remain appropriate as conditions change.
Access to current soil-moisture information, combined with the ability to adjust irrigation remotely, allows decisions to be based on what is happening on the farm - not simply on a predetermined schedule.
That can help farmers:
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Apply water where and when it is needed.
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Respond faster to changing weather and soil conditions.
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Avoid unnecessary irrigation.
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Make better use of limited water allocations.
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Protect pasture during periods of increasing moisture deficit.
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Reduce the risk of missed or delayed irrigation.
Preparation creates options
El Niño does not mean every farm will experience the same conditions. However, the possibility of a drier, more demanding season makes now a good time to ensure your irrigation system is reliable, visible and ready to perform.
Finding and resolving problems before the season starts is far easier than discovering them when soil moisture is already falling and the system is operating at full capacity.
The objective is not simply to irrigate more. It is to make every irrigation opportunity count.
Want greater visibility and control of your irrigation system this season? Talk to your local Water Supply Products dealer about Water to Grow, or contact us to learn more.
