Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Electric pivots versus hydrostatic systems

Electric pivot systems
There are five major manufacturers of center pivot irrigation systems and irrigation technology: T-L Irrigation, Valley (also known as Valmont Irrigation), Raintex Irrigation, Reinke and the Lindsay Corporation. 
Center pivot systems were originally designed to operate on square fields. With the introduction of electric drive machines, center pivots started to be used on many field shapes.
T-L Irrigation manufactures hydrostatic Pivots, (the machine is powered by water propelling the pivot around the field).

The other manufacturers' equipment is powered by 480 volt electricity. The propelling motors and other equipment start and move forward when told to do so by sensors, not in a continuous motion.

Center-Pivot irrigation: benefits to the crop

 

Many crops around the world take benefit from center pivot irrigation: soybeans, corn, sunflowers, edible beans, sugar beets, alfalfa, wheat...Center pivots have been used successfully in very large fields, with the pivot itself being as much as one-quarter mile in length.
The sprinkler heads are positioned along its length. There are many different nozzle configurations available. Big guns can be placed at the end of the pivot overhang to allow the water system to reach even the farthest edges of a field.

Typically pivots work on flat fields, but even fields can benefit from this type of irrigation system. Many farmers are finding that center pivot irrigation satisfies many of their crops' consistent water needs.