Keeping Irrigation Knowledge on the Farm

Mark Downie is Farm Manager at Optifarm in Darlington Point, running a citrus, almond and row-cropping operation. Before SWAN Systems, irrigation scheduling was inconsistent — and too dependent on knowledge staying in one person’s head. Here’s how that’s changed, and what SWAN Sync means for the team going forward.

The challenge — scheduling and keeping knowledge on the farm

For Mark, the biggest challenge wasn’t just knowing how much water to apply — it was making sure that knowledge stayed with the team and the farm, not just one person. He also needed a reliable way to look back at the end of a season, check what had been done, and see what could be improved.

What’s changed since using SWAN Systems

Mark now records what’s actually been applied, with reporting accessible from anywhere there’s an internet connection. That visibility extends across the team — particularly the agronomist, who can see what water’s been applied and when, and use that during inspections to make informed judgement calls.

“It’ll be that reporting for us — being able to look at it, improve what we’re doing from there.” — Mark Downie, Farm Manager, Optifarm

Looking ahead with SWAN Sync

Mark’s team already uses soil probes, weather forecasts and irrigation history to structure schedules — much the way SWAN does. What SWAN Sync adds is removing the manual step entirely: schedules go straight to the controller, entered correctly, with no blocks missed.

“Not having to manually enter it — having it just do it itself, knowing it’s entered right and the blocks aren’t missed.” — Mark Downie, Farm Manager, Optifarm

For Mark, that shift has been a game changer.