About us

The Virtual Irrigation Academy is managed by CSIRO Agriculture and Food based in Canberra, Australia.

For the vast majority of those who use water to grow food, there is no simple way to know how well irrigation is managed.

Our 'Chameleon system' is a way of measuring soil water by producing colour patterns. These patterns tell you whether the soil is too wet or dry, how deep rain and irrigation moves into the soil and where roots are taking up water.

We also believe that water, nutrients, and salt have to be measured together in order to really understand what is happening when we add water to the land in order to grow food.

Our work is primarily funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and is directed to farmers in developing countries.

Introduction to the VIA

This video gives an introduction to the VIA in Tanzania and Malawi.