Corporate Body

Irrigation Research Station, Griffith - CSIR/O (1939 - 1961)

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

From
1939
Griffith, New South Wales, Australia
To
1961
Functions
Industrial or scientific research, Agricultural industry and Resources
Reference No
CA 4468
Legal Status
Agency of the Commonwealth of Australia
Location
Griffith, New South Wales

Summary

Previously the Commonwealth Citrus Research Station, Griffith NSW (1924-1927), the CSIR controlled Commonwealth Research Station, Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area was renamed the Irrigation Research Station in 1939. In 1961 yet another name change took place, the Irrigation Research Station becoming the Irrigation Research Laboratory.

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Details

From "CSIRO research for Australia" (1962) pdf pages 22-23:

"C.S.I.R.O. has two irrigation research stations, one at Merbein (Victoria) in the Murray Irrigation area, and the other at Griffith (N.S.W.) in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation area. Both were established before C.S.I.R. came into being."

"Established in 1924, originally for citrus research, the Griffith Station has always received strong support, including an annual contribution of funds, from the New South Wales Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission.

The major project at Griffith during the first years was a study of the nutrition of oranges, leading to the findi ng that zinc deficiency was induced by phosphate applications to the soil. A later experiment showed that poor fruit quality was due to an incorrect nitrogen-phosphorus ratio in the soil. This led to altered fertilizing practices, with a consequent increase in quality. Other citrus investigations included work on frost prevention by forced air circulation and scientific assessments of the winter requirements of citrus trees for irrigation water.

In more recent years the station has opened up several important subjects. There has been, for example, a fundamental study of the usage of irrigation water to find out just what irrigation practices will give the best results on different slopes and with different soil types. Under irrigation conditions plants can be exposed to extremes of water tension, and the station has been investigating the effects on plants of too much and too little water. Rice, cotton, vegetables and various fruit crops have been included in the station's research programme, which also embraces studies on salinity and underground water, and the use of sunshine by plants."

Timeline

 1924 - 1927 Commonwealth Citrus Research Station, Griffith NSW
       1927 - 1939 Commonwealth Research Station, Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area - CSIR
             1939 - 1961 Irrigation Research Station, Griffith - CSIR/O
                   1961 - 1967 Irrigation Research Laboratory. Griffith - CSIRO
                         1967 - 1982 CSIRO Division of Irrigation Research
                               1982 - 1987 Centre for Irrigation Research - CSIRO
                                     1987 - 1988 Centre for Irrigation and Freshwater Research - CSIRO
                                           1988 - 1997 CSIRO Division of Water Resources
                                                 1997 - 2014 CSIRO Division of Land and Water

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Ailie Smith

Created: 27 September 2000, Last modified: 28 February 2025

EOAS ID: biogs/A000773b.htm

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