Page title

Cotton on to energy efficiency with QRIDA

27 April 2026

By QRIDA Regional Area Manager for Maranoa and South West, Terry Pulsford

Energy is one of the fastest growing costs for cotton growers, with electricity and diesel accounting for a significant proportion of total farm input costs. In fact, electricity costs alone have increased by around 350% since 2000. 

Frequently reviewing your energy infrastructure and identifying areas for improvement is important for sustaining a cotton growing business as it could significantly lower your energy use, operational costs, and environmental impact.

For example, a Type 3 energy audit carried out through the Queensland Farmers’ Federation’s QBEST Ag program assessed a cotton operation in the Maranoa-Balonne region, examining a pump station running three electric pumps and one diesel pump used for flood irrigation. 

The audit found the pump was operating at around 4.15 kWh/ML/m, slightly above the target efficiency of 3.8 kWh/ML/m, highlighting that even a well-maintained operation has room to improve. 

Here are five on-farm energy efficient upgrades cotton growers could consider:

1. Upgrade irrigation pumps: Upgrade and install Variable Speed Drives (VSDs) or Pump Efficiency Monitors to reduce diesel and electricity consumption. Irrigation accounts for up to 75% of total direct energy use on cotton farms, making it the single biggest opportunity for savings. It’s also worth reviewing suction pipe sizing, as incorrectly sized pipes can affect pump efficiency.
2. Try alternative or hybrid fuel supply: LPG gas injected into diesel engines improves diesel combustion and creates a slightly cheaper energy source than pure diesel. There are many suppliers with ‘off the shelf’ injection systems that will suit most motors. Importantly, this is only the case for electronically injected diesel engines. LPG injection increases costs for mechanically injected engines. LPG electronic injection systems release lower emissions than diesel. 
3. Optimise your pump’s performance: Significant efficiency gains can be made by optimising pump performance to reduce diesel consumption. Improved pump efficiency can also lead to increased water flow rates. More timely irrigation and improved crop yield can result from assessment of in-field irrigation performances completed as part of this process.
4. Try different tillage methods: Moving from conventional tillage to minimum tillage can create savings of around 10% of fuel use on farm.
5. Automate irrigation systems: Invest in sensor-driven irrigation technology to apply water only when crops need it, reducing unnecessary pumping and improving both water and energy use efficiency.

A concessional QRIDA Sustainability Loan of up to $1.3 million can help eligible cane growers fund on-farm energy efficient upgrades. 

Visit QRIDA's Sustainability Loan webpage or call QRIDA on 1800 623 946 to find out more about how you can power more and spend less with QRIDA. 

Visit Queensland Ag Energy Hub's website to find out more about energy information for farmers. 

Note: The case study referred to in this article is a Queensland Ag Energy Hub case study. The Queensland Ag Energy Hub is managed by the Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) and was funded by the Queensland Government.