Pivot Irrigation

Pivot irrigation in Georgia

2012-01-27T09:56:00.000-08:00

In Southwest Georgia there are more than 6,000 center pivots used to water peanuts, cotton and corn. Farmers have control over how much water the irrigation nozzles spray as they pass over fields. Small fields can vary in topography and soil types, with some places wetter or drier than other places in the same field.

VRI technology

The concept is simple: apply water when and where crops need it. Don't apply it where they don't. VRI technology uses computer maps, global positioning systems, soil sensors and software to control where and how much water the nozzles on a center pivot spray on crops.

Growers want to irrigate more precisely, but don't have the time or level with higher-tech gadgets. The more time-consuming technology steps have been eliminated to make the system easier for farmers to use.

Instead of having to create computer maps of fields, this system has a simple "push-button" feature. A farmer can start the center pivot over a field. When it gets to a location he doesn't want to apply water, the farmer pushes the button to train the system not to water that area. Once the system passes this area, he pushes the button again to resume watering only the crop. This can be done in as many as 8 locations in the same field.

The water efficiency of VRI has been tested on farms in Georgia and found it can reduce the water use in a field by as much as 15% annually without sacrificing crop yield.

Record yields on rice fields

2011-11-22T02:12:00.000-08:00

A production of rice under center-Pivot irrigation systems, located in Missouri (United States) reached record yields. While the majority of fields were well-suited for flood irrigation, one field had sandy loam soils and hilly terrain, which previously made it impossible to produce rice. The kind of soil cannot maintain a flood, so Pivot irrigation is a good alternative. It was the first experience with rice for the producer, but it didn't mean more work than in the corn field. They just ran the center-Pivot more time.

A grower who produces rice with a center pivot can be 5% more profitable than if he had flooded his field. Data collected throughout the years, on traditional and non-traditional rice fields, have recorded cost savings that rice producers have experienced with center pivot irrigation and linear machines versus flood.

Though a rice producer may use more pesticides and herbicides with a center pivot, the fertilizer costs remain the same as with a flooded field. Because a rice field irrigated with a center pivot does not need to be flat, and crop protection products can be applied through the irrigation machine, growers may see a 75 percent or more difference in labor costs, and a 50 percent or more difference in maintenance costs. Compared with a flooded field, fuel costs are also lower for rice produced with a center pivot due to a significantly smaller volume of water that is pumped throughout the growing season.

What's so great about Pivot irrigation?

2011-08-26T04:26:00.000-07:00

Benefits to irrigating crops with a center Pivot

Flying across the USA, passengers notice green circles and half-circles, on the ground below. Those circles are created when a farmer waters his crops with Pivot irrigation.

There are two major benefits to a Pivot system. The first is simply that plants receive water on a regular, consistent basis. Pivot irrigation systems allow plants to receive water every 3 days, on average. This allows the water to soak into the ground, promoting deep root growth which in turn encourages healthy plants.

The second benefit to a center pivot is that water loss because of evaporation and drifting in the breeze is minimized. Pivots allow the sprinkler heads to be lowered to just inches above the tops of the plants, thus ensuring that most of the water reaches the crop and doesn't blow away in the wind. Water conservation is a serious concern today. Evaporation and wind drift are a concern also because many farmers are allowed a limited amount of moisture to get their crops to harvest.

Varied Terrain is Okay for Pivot Irrigation

Center pivots offer the ability to irrigate fields that have surface slopes that make it impossible to irrigate with surface methods. Many crops benefit from this type of watering system: alfalfa, corn, soybeans, sunflowers and more do very well with Pivots.

Center-Pivot systems and lateral move irrigation machines

2011-08-01T02:43:00.000-07:00

Center pivots are a form of sprinkler irrigation consisting of several spans joined together and supported by trusses, mounted on wheeled towers with sprinklers positioned along its length. The machine is fed with water that comes from the Pivot pad.

Center-Pivots are typically less than 500 metres in length (circle radius). To achieve uniform application, center Pivot systems require a continuously variable emitter flow rate across the radius of the machine. Nozzle sizes are smallest at the inner spans to achieve low flow rates and increase with distance from the pivot point.

Most center pivot systems now have drops hanging from goosenecks attached at the top of the pipe with sprinkler heads that are positioned a few feet above the crop, thus limiting evaporative losses and wind drift. Pressure regulators are typically installed upstream of each nozzle to ensure each is operating at the correct design pressure.

Crops may be planted in straight rows or are sometimes planted in circles to conform to the travel of the center pivot.

Originally, most center pivots were water-powered. These were replaced by hydraulic systems and electric motor-driven systems. Most systems today are driven by an electric motor mounted at each tower.

For center pivot to be used, the terrain needs to be reasonably flat; but one major advantage of center pivots over alternative systems is the ability to function in undulating country. This advantage has resulted in increased irrigated acreage and water use in some areas.

Linear/Lateral Move Irrigation Machines

The above mentioned equipment can also be configured to move in a straight line where it is termed a linear move or lateral move irrigation system. In this case the water is supplied by an irrigation channel running the length of the field and positioned either at one side or midway across the field width.

The motor and pump equipment is mounted on a cart adjacent to the supply channel that travels with the machine. Farmers may opt for linear moves to conform to existing rectangular field designs such as those converting from furrow irrigation.

Lateral moves are far less common, rely on more complex guidance systems and require additional management than compared to centre pivot systems.

Center pivot irrigation on the California State University

2011-07-11T01:07:00.000-07:00

A new center pivot system was installed on the farm of the California State University to serve as a research and educational tool. It was donated by Valmont Irrigation, and it's expected to attract positive attention from the local agricultural industry.

Specialists will oversee demonstrations, as well as tests comparing the center pivot system to flood and other types of sprinkler and drip irrigation systems. Tests will address water use efficiency, energy use and crop performance.

The flood irrigation mentality is ingrained in people in this area, so this demonstration plot will show what a pivot system can do. Center pivot irrigation technology goes back decades, and it is used extensively all over the world. For some reasons, it has not been widely adopted in California but nowadays, growers are getting more interested in reducing costs and enhancing efficiency.

Center pivot machines operate from a pivot point in a field. A galvanized steel framework lined with hanging sprinklers rotates around the center pivot; drive wheels which move the frame are powered by electric motors. A main pipe attached to the center pivot carries the water under pressure to the sprinklers.

A center pivot system requires less mechanical maintenance than a linear self-propelled system and has a longer lifespan than drip systems. It is adaptable to most field and grain crops; even trees in some cases.

Cruise control for center-Pivot irrigation

2011-05-04T02:20:00.000-07:00

Valley Irrigation introduced a new software that they have called 'Pivot Cruise Control', which allows producers to be more precise with chemigation and fertigation.

This product is a good demonstration of company's dedication to meeting customers' needs through innovation.

The irrigation industry was asking for a product like this. Now producers can program a center pivot irrigation machine to automatically adjust its speed, based on completing a defined number of degrees in a specific amount of time.

This feature will help producers more precisely manage chemigation and fertigation through their center pivot irrigation equipment. If a center pivot travels too fast during chemigation, it won't be applied enough chemical. If it travels too slowly, the product runs out and a part of the ground goes untreated.

It's a very easy to use product, so simple to operate.

Benefits of Pivot irrigation

2010-11-30T02:55:00.000-08:00

Flying across the USA everybody can observe center pivot irrigation: the cause for those green or brown circles or half-circles on the earth below. This type of crop watering system is very effective at creating valuable farmland out of previously unusable dry or even desert ground.

These systems begin with a water source, usually in the center of a field. This source can be a well, canal, or other consistent water supply. From the water source, pipes or hoses allow the water to be transported along the entire length of a field. Wheeled towers allow the pivot to move slowly around the field.

Sprinkler heads spray or sprinkle the growing crops from the main pipe, or from drops that dangle below the structure just a few inches above the plants.

Two important benefits of pivot irrigation are that crops receive regular, consistent water, and that water evaporation and wind drift are greatly reduced. Besides, Pivot irrigation allows the farmer to determine how much water the plants receive, as well as how often the plants receive that water.

Water loss is minimized. In dry areas, water evaporation and wind drift can result in a major loss of water to crops. In the high plains where strong winds are common, wind drift can prevent water from reaching the plants on the ground. Also, warm dry air will cause water to evaporate at a much higher rate than other places.

The Nebraska pioneer of center pivot irrigation has died

2010-11-26T00:59:00.000-08:00

Robert B. Daugherty was a Nebraska businessman who helped transform the rural landscape into a patchwork of circular fields by popularizing an irrigation system that used a pipe on wheels pivoting around a central point. He died on Wednesday at his home in Omaha, he was 88.

Mr. Daugherty’s company, originally called Valley Manufacturing, started out making agricultural implements. Now known as Valmont Industries, it became an international manufacturing giant. The breakthrough for Mr. Daugherty came in 1953, when he bought the rights to manufacture a new irrigation system, the brainchild of a Nebraska farmer, Frank Zybach. The new system came to be called center-pivot irrigation. It involved a long pipe on wheels that rotated around a point at the center of a field, spraying water as it went.

Engineers working for Mr. Daugherty improved the system, but he had difficulty at first persuading farmers to try it. By the 1960s, however, it began to take hold. Today, about 42% of irrigated farmland in the United States uses center pivot machinery or similar mechanized systems. Its prevalence can perhaps be best recognized from the air, where travelers on cross-country flights can see the landscape converted into a polka dot pattern of irrigated circles inside square fields.

Before the center pivot, farmers would typically irrigate their fields by allowing water to run downhill in furrows. But the center-pivot system allowed for a much more efficient use of water. It also requires less labor and can be used on uneven or hilly terrain where traditional methods of irrigation may not be an option. It is now used around the world and is credited with expanding the acreage of irrigated land and increasing farm productivity.

Mr. Daugherty, who retired from the company in 1996, left a large part of his fortune to a foundation he created. In April the foundation pledged $50 million to the University of Nebraska to found the Global Water for Food Institute, a center for research and policy analysis related to the use of water for agriculture.

Two center Pivots to put out a cornfield fire

2010-11-19T10:25:00.000-08:00

Three fire departments responded to cornfield fire near St. Libory (Illinois, US) last saturday. St. Libory Volunteer Fire Chief Troy Leschinsky said a cornfield fire apparently started by a combine was put out partly with the help of two center pivot irrigation systems that were turned on after the field caught on fire.

The fire was several miles west of U.S. Highway 281 on Highway 58. The cornfield that caught fire was south of Highway 58.

Leschinsky said the fire, which was called in at about 5:40 p.m., was also put out through the efforts of firefighters and equipment from the St. Libory Volunteer Fire Department, Dannebrog Volunteer Fire Department and Grand Island Rural Volunteer Fire Department.

Leschinsky, who was still overseeing firefighters as they continued to douse hot spots from the extinguished fire, said he did not know how much, if any, damage was done to the combine. He said the fire was quite noticeable for a time because of the heavy smoke it generated.

Pivot irrigation in Libya

2010-06-20T01:21:00.000-07:00

Libya is a country placed in the north of Africa, and now is getting oil by BP. This country is not known for having large reserves of water ready to be used agricultural applications. The government is led by a man considered a little bit eccentric, but he's very conscious in watering crops by using center-pivot systems.

With this initiative, Libya is really trying to green the desert with center Pivots, but there are some other countries like Jordan (it's practicing pivot irrigation), Israel (irrigating for years via its patented drip irrigation system), Syria, Qatar... that are working with the most advanced irrigation systems.

This kind of mechanized irrigation machines have been designed to reduce water loss through evaporation, by using sprinkler methods that feed water from the Pivot pad within a circle, distributing piped water to the whole plot.

Pivot irrigation machines are being used in many countries around the world, including India and desert regions of the USA. However, the way they're growing crops is so unique in Libya. The photo shows a picture of typical images taken by NASA space shuttles passing overhead in Libya.

In a country like Libya (95% of the territory is composed by the Sahara desert) this type of agricultural mechanization is not a cheap investment, and is only possible by being able to extract water from underground aquifers. Each circle is about 0.6 miles in diameter, and is able to grow a number of different crops: vegetables, sunflowers, grains, corn, fruits, and crops for animals.

Irrigation and Energy Conference

2009-10-31T03:14:00.000-07:00

Farmers work consistently to reduce operating costs while maintaining and improving crop yields. Energy and water use are two operating costs that farmers can control.
The California Association of Resource Conservation Districts will host a one-day conference to help farmers reduce energy use and increase water use efficiency. It will be held at the AgTAC Energy Center in Tulare.

The conference will provide information and practical experience on numerous innovative precision agricultural technologies. It will highlight recent successful introductions of mechanized irrigation systems.
The morning program offers an overview of emerging "hot button" issues in air and water quality that the agriculture industry faces. These will include groundwater pumping and cost-sharing funds from the USDA. Air and water quality specialists will offer updates on ag-related air and water quality regulations.
Guest speakers will discuss an overview of precision agriculture technologies.
Further discussions will cover mechanized center pivot and linear overhead irrigation systems. These systems are being adopted because they offer high application uniformity, increased automation, and low reliance on labor.

Outdoor Security System

2009-09-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

This is the first outdoor security system that requires no electricity. It uses sensors and trap sensors to detect intruders and risk situations. With no need for building works or channelling, since the technology it uses is completely cordless.

The system cosists of an electronic unit and a number of sensors and trap sensors (three different types) plus, if neccesary, an actuator with up to 50 components per installation. The coverage range can be up to 50 metres between each trap sensor and the Electronics Unit. Remote communications are achieved by using a SIM card from any operator, slotted into the Electronics Unit. Optimal power management means that the system can send one alarm every day for a whole year.

Trap sensors for detecting people

With conventional security a large number of electronic devices are used, but they're not traps. They are detectors that make no attempt to be hidden: barriers, cameras, volumetric devices, etc. Burglars are aware of their existence and so try not to be detected. They are intended to detect intruders in closed compounds.

Our system can detect and surprise intruders anywhere out in the open, applying logic: if someone wants to steal they must pass along a certain path, approach a certain machine, enter a given site, open this box, go up those stairs, etc.

Sensors for risk situations

Issuing an alert if an animal leaves a fenced area, when the water level is too low or too high, when somewhere is flooded, if there is a power outage, or for any other application without the need for a power supply.

Applications

For tracks, fencing, gates, farm machinery, irrigation wells, barns, silos, pens, tools, etc. From now on traps can protect the things that previously were at risk of being stolen or damaged.

Big return in corn

2009-08-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

When it came to deciding whether or not to spend $120,000 to install a center pivot in an area where the systems are a rarity, “We had to do some serious thinking,” says John Grant, who farms hill land in north central Mississippi.

John Grant, and his son, Kenneth, say the difference in corn yield over dryland in 2008 helped them pay almost half the cost of installing a center pivot system on a 170-acre field. They’re hoping to recoup the rest of the cost this year.

Drilling wells in the area is an expensive — and often futile — proposition, given the depths required to try and get adequate water to run an irrigation system. Grant and his son, Kenneth, who farms with him, had a go at drilling a well on a field where they planned to grow corn in 2008, but called it quits when they got to 600 feet and still couldn’t get sufficient water to run a center pivot. They weren’t ready to give up on irrigation, though.

“Bogue Creek runs along one edge of the field,” says John. “You can walk across it in most places and not get too wet, and just to look at it, you wouldn’t think there’s enough water flow to support a quarter-mile center pivot. But, it doesn’t go dry in the summer, and when we checked the flow, it averaged 3,000 gallons per minute. The pivot would require only 1,000 gallons per minute.

“We worked with the Big D folks at Greenwood, Miss., to design a Valley system that would pump water from the creek, uphill through an underground line, to the pivot". “We had to pay the electric company $9,600 to run a line to power the pump in the creek and the pivot, but when we looked at operating costs, electricity was much less than diesel.

“We ran the system 16 days last year, and we’ve already used it several times this season. It takes 36 hours to make a full circle on 167 acres, putting down a half-inch of water.”

When harvest time came, says John, any reservations they may have had about the irrigation investment vanished. “We averaged 195 bushels on the field, and the yield monitor on the combine was showing some spots with 230 bushels. On areas outside the pivot, we averaged 54 bushels. With the price we got for our corn, we figure we recouped half the cost of the system in just one year". “If corn prices hold this year, and we’ve already got a lot of it booked, we’ll likely make back the rest of what it cost us. As soon as we get this pivot paid for, we’ll look at putting in another.”

Vehicle collides with Pivot Irrigation System

2009-07-09T00:33:00.000-07:00

State police are looking for the driver of a vehicle who fled after colliding with a Pivot irrigation system southwest of Bridgeville.
Police say a faulty stop arm on the irrigation system – a large metal structure more than a thousand feet long that moves on wheels around a central pivot point to water farm crops – placed it onto Cannon Road between Wesley Church Road and Federalsburg Road, where it was struck by the car traveling east about 2:45 a.m.
The collision left both the vehicle and the irrigation structure inoperable. The occupants fled after removing the license plates from the vehicle, police said.
They said there was no sign anyone was injured. The pivot had to be removed from the vehicle by a towing company, which then removed the vehicle.
The Bridgeville Fire Department and the De Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control responded to remove hydraulic fluid that spilled onto the road. The road was closed for about two hours.

Installation of 23 Center Pivot in Pakistán

2009-07-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

The Government of Sindh intends to install 23 Center Pivot Toeable Sprinkler Irrigation Systems, one each of 50 acres, at each district of the province. The list of districts: Hyderabad, Karachi, Thatta, Matiari, Jamshoro, Dadu, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Tando Mohd Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Umer Kot, Nawabshah (Daur), Naushehro Feroze, Khairpur (Nara), Tharparkar, Larkana, Ghotki, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Kambur-Shahdadkot, Kashmore-Kandhkot, Shikarpur.

The firms already pre-qualified / short-listed with the Government under WC & PE-HEIS project would be required to:

Design and prepare material & cost estimates with the consent of farmers
Get it authenticated from consultants and approved from the Project Director
Install the complete system on farmers’ fields with all diesel, electrical and water hook-ups / accessories within this financial year 2005-2009
Operate the system to the satisfaction of the farmers and line agencies on turn-key basis
Provide O & M for one year, after the installation within estimated cost (warranty period) and from 2nd year to successive five years at an agreed O & M cost
The firms would be required to provide training to the farmers

The format for submitting rates can be purchased from the office of the undersigned on payment of Rs.3000.00 during office hours. The firms are required to submit their sealed offers for the cost estimates. The offers will be opened by the Technical Committee of the Department in the committee room of Directorate General, Agricultural Engineering & Water Management Sindh, Hyderabad, in the presence of the representatives of the respective firms, if they so desire.
The Project Directorate, with the approval of competent authority, reserves the right to accept or reject any or all offers without assigning any reason.

Man survives three storms in three years

2009-06-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

Three times is not a charm for Joe Johnson. The Stafford County farmer is tired of severe weather after getting hit three years in a row. In 2007, the Greensburg tornado destroyed his home south of Macksville. The damage was so extensive he and his wife, Marsha, moved to another house west of Macksville. In 2008, a tornado damaged that home and some of his farm equipment. Then Monday, severe weather destroyed his irrigation pivot and sheered off some of his corn crop.
"The replacement value of the irrigation pivot is around $85,000 to replace so it's going to be expensive to fix it," said Johnson. "After three years of this, I wish the tornados would go bother someone else."
His neighbors joke he should move. But just like the ups and downs of farming, Johnson says he's here to stay. He says he'll weather whatever Mother Nature brings next.

Good progress with potatoes

2009-05-29T01:42:00.000-07:00

Things have certainly become very busy on the farm since my last instalment. Here at North Paddock potato planting is well under way. The harsh winter has produced a good friable tilth and seedbeds are excellent.
We farm potato hills in the autumn using a Dammer-Diker. This is a great bit of kit. Sub-soiling legs travel down the centre of each hill, followed by bulking bodies forming the hills. A novel wheel then digs small divots in between each hill. In winter these help trap snowfall and increase moisture accumulation; during the season they assist with drainage and prevent irrigation run-off.
In spring we simply travel over the hills once with a packer to firm them up and break any remaining clods, and then they are ready for planting. A warm period of weather with temperatures as high as 26ºC has seen tubers going into lovely warm seed-beds.
The output and accuracy of our 6-row Spudnik planter is good; planting 60 acres a day (half a Pivot circle) and achieving 92% efficiency.
Good progress was being made until very suddenly the clouds appeared, snowfall started and all fieldwork subsequently ground to a halt. I write this column after a week of temperatures hovering around zero with regular snowfall. At least it will provide good moisture for emerging potatoes and good conditions for seeding grain and canola. I shall be patient and return to the hobby which occupies farmers all over the world - checking weather forecasts.

Family's farming roots

2009-04-16T02:36:00.000-07:00

Although Jake has been an entrepreneur in agribusinesses such as starting the grain elevator here and raising hogs as a young man, he never ventured too far from his roots as a dirt farmer. "My grandfather was my hero," he said. "He and his brother, Jim, came from Hillsboro by covered wagon in 1903 and purchased land which remains in the family today".

"I owe everything I own to the perseverance of Grandpa. My grandparetns first bought 500 acres of brush-covered land 2.5 miles north of Vancourt for $2.50 per acre. They cleared the land and four years later purchased addition adjoining land for $7 per acre. My dad and his brother, Sam, helped Grandpa raise cotton, milo and registered Hereford cattle on the stockfarm," Jake said.
"Before they owned a tractor, they broke the cropland with mule-drawn plows. At harvest time, they would have to pull the cotton bolls by day, and at night they would pull the cotton out of the bolls." From those early years to the present generation, the advancement of technology and diversification has brought changes to the Powell farm.
Irrigation and modern harvesters have not only increased the proficiency of production, but genetically improved cotton varieties have increased the yield.
"My family was born with farming in their blood. My grandfather also liked the ranching business. He had 100 head of registered Hereford. My father also liked the cattle business. When I started working with my father, he sort of turned the farming over to me and he stayed with the cattle. Actually, I was in my second year at Southwest State College in San Marcos when my father was in the hospital with back problems. I came home to keep the farm going and never went back to college".
"I have always loved farming. I enjoy watching the crops grow. It is unique that all of the land purchased by my grandfather remains all together. Between my cousin, and I, we are still operating it. I concentrate on farming only."
"I also had ranching interest for years in Menard and Concho counties, but sold that property several years ago. I also tried several ventures early in my life which no doubt helped hold on to the farm. I had a 200-sow confinement operation in the 1960s and 1970s and sold most of the swine. In 1974, with partners, we built and operated the Vancourt Grain Elevator. I was running the hog operation during the same period, so I was mixing the hog feed, which saved on input costs. The farm has good water wells, so irrigation was installed about 25 years ago. It is ideal for this part of the country where we have more dry years than rainy ones. With the Pivot Irrigation Systems, there is always something green and growing on 650 acres of farmland".

Canal collapse cuts irrigation supply

2009-03-08T04:25:00.000-07:00

A centre pivot sits idle after part of the Benmore irrigation scheme canal (centre background) slipped a week ago, cutting off water to six farms.

Six farmers with 28 centre pivots are without water from the Benmore Irrigation Company's scheme as the driest part of the year approaches. Last Friday, a portion of the scheme's main canal collapsed just east of Lake Ruataniwha. The slip is clearly visible from State Highway 8 on the side of the hill.

Company chairman did not know how much had collapsed. However, it was hoped the problem would be rectified by this weekend, restoring the irrigation. A contractor had been employed to restore the flow. The repairs would also need signing off by an engineer.
The scheme started delivering water about four years ago and was recently extended through the Benmore Saddle to the Ahuriri River.
The break has come at one of the worst times of the year, but this shouldn't be causing any major problems for farmers. The scheme has only been going for a short time and this is the first major problem we have had.
It is part of the ongoing process of a new scheme going through the settling-in process.

Irrigation project joins research, technology, technique

2009-02-22T01:22:00.000-08:00

The Center Pivot Water Conservation Project exists to bring the latest research, technologies and techniques to irrigators. The project is a three-year education program with major funding from the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund.
Center pivot manufacturers, there are four in Nebraska, contributed both cash and in-kind services. UNL is a contributor, as well as the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources.
The program is designed to help irrigators become more efficient with the water that they apply through pivots. For example, growers can do a better job during the season by not irrigating corn and soybeans so early. It’s okay to stress soybeans. In fact water stress may increase yields if you don’t fully irrigate. Stressing corn during the vegetative growth stage will not hurt yields. But once the tassel comes out, it needs to have full water.
2009 is the first year of the program. The five presentations developed for this year include:

Sprinkler packages. This presentation will help producers select the most efficient sprinklers for their own situations.
Pumping costs. This presentation will allow the crop grower to decide if the system is using more energy than it should and if it needs to be tested for inefficiencies.
Nebraska Ag Water Management Demonstration Network. This network uses moisture sensors and an atmometer to keep track of how much water crop is using during the growing season.
Limited irrigation. Growers will learn about research that reveals methods for producing optimum yields with less water.
Water Optimizer. This is an Excel-based spreadsheet program that permits producers to plug in their own numbers to determine how best to use irrigation water.

In the presentation will be working the four pivot manufacturers and their distribution networks. Dealer open houses will be attended where presentations will be given.
Visit with the dealers in your neighborhood and ask if they’re going to have an open house.
Presentations will be soon available for download and viewing on the producer’s own computer.

Center pivot system ruined by vandals

2009-01-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

A center pivot system was destroyed by vandals in what York County Sheriff's Lt. Paul Vrbka called "probably one of the worst cases of criminal mischief" he has seen. Based on the value of the damage alone — about $30,000 or more — that may be true.

The irrigation system, in a rural area between Henderson and McCool Junction, was vandalized sometime Saturday. "They turned it on, full blast, and left it," Vrbka said. "It ran until it completely froze up, the pipes broke and the entire structure collapsed."

Four generations harvest corn crop

2008-12-19T06:28:00.000-08:00

When Smith’s family got together for harvest this year, they were doing more than picking corn. They were celebrating four generations involved in the harvest on land held by the family for about 200 years.
Smith said actually two more generations should be recognized.
Smith’s father, Bryan Smith, moved his family to land north of Enders, where Smith, 87 next month, resided from 1929-1952. He then moved to his present location near Champion.
The Smiths, including son Lloyd, grandson Nick and great-grandson Allan, 12, farm corn, wheat and soybeans. They began picking high moisture corn Sept. 29, then laid off for three weeks to wait for the corn to dry down. The Smiths completed harvest Dec. 3. Lloyd’s wife Rhonda drove a semi to transport corn. Vilas Smith began farming when he was 10 years old, helping his father and a hired man. He drove a four-horse cultivator. “I can still hear those horses clopping,” he laughed.
When he first began harvesting corn, horses were still used. Then tractors came into play.
Smith remembers the steamer and thrasher used for harvesting wheat. It took a lot of time to cut wheat. He also remembers the corn pickers attached to a tractor or pulled behind one. The corn was harvested on the ear, then stored in a rick. It was scooped by hand into a sheller to remove the kernels from the cob.
The big difference these days, Smith said, is the machinery.
Most of the Smiths’ crops are irrigated by pivot, with just a little gravity irrigated. Smith said he first installed gravity irrigation on the Champion Valley land, using siphon tubes connected to ditch water. Gated irrigation pipes followed, and then sprinkler pivots.

Evaluation of a Center Pivot irrigation system

2008-11-25T01:43:00.000-08:00

Here is the evaluation abstract of a central Pivot irrigation System (CPIS), made in Brazil from a technical and economic point of view. The profitability of the system was simulated using real data obtained from a farm located in Chile, projected over a time horizon of ten years.

Internal Rates of Return were estimated on two crops that frequently use CPIS maize for seed and maize-for grain, assuming a decreasing capital allocation and an increasing governmental subsidy, in the terms provided by Chilean Law 18.450.

From a technical standpoint, results showed that the operation parameters agreed with the specifications of the manufacturer. The Hermann and Hein Coefficient of Uniformity obtained was 86%, classifying the area irrigated as «well watered».

The Distribution Uniformity parameter obtained was 79%, an adequate result for the crop and soil conditions of the test.

The Internal Rate of Return obtained for maize for-seed varied from 23% to 103% for the range of 100% to 25% of self-financing.

For the case of maize-for-grain the investment is profitable only with a maximum of 70% of capital allocation from the part of the farmer, implying that the minimum subsidy required from the part of the State is 30%.

Water for farming

2008-11-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

Most people may drink only two litres of water a day, but they consume about 3,000 if the water that goes into their food is taken into account. The rich gulp down far more, since they tend to eat more meat, which takes far more water to produce than grains.

So as the world’s population grows and incomes rise, farms will (if they use today’s methods) need a great deal more water to keep everyone fed: 2,000 more cubic kilometres a year by 2030, or over a quarter more than they use today.

Yet in many farming regions, water is scarce and likely to get scarcer as global warming worsens. The world is facing not so much a food crisis as a water crisis.

The solution, is more efficient use of water (Pivot Irrigation Systems) or, "more crop per drop”. Some 1.2 billion people, about a fifth of the world’s population, live in places that are short of water. Farming accounts for roughly 70% of human water consumption.

So when water starts to run out, as is happening in northern China, southern Spain and the western United States, among other places, farming tends to offer the best potential for thrift. But governments, whether to win votes or to protect the poor, rarely charge farmers a market price for water. So they are usually more wasteful than other consumers—even though the value they create from the water is often less than households or industry would be willing to pay for it.

Fathers of Center Pivot Irrigation (IV)

2008-10-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Valmont Industries, Inc.

Valley Manufacturing Company (Valmont Industries, Inc.) was founded in 1946 by Robert Daugherty.

He invested his entire life savings to start the company, which manufactured farm elevators, hay rakes, wagon hoists and tractor front end loaders.

In 1954, he acquired patented manufacturing and sales rights for self-propelled irrigation system from farmer Frank Zybach.

Advancements in technology like linear move systems, hot dip galvanizing, low-pressure nozzles, and computerized pivot panels has made Valmont the largest manufacturer of center pivots in the world.

Fathers of Center Pivot Irrigation (III)

2008-10-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

T-L Irrigation Company.

T-L Irrigation Company's founding father, LeRoy Thom was raised on a farm in Ravenna, Nebraska. Before founding T-L Irrigation in1955, Thom worked a wide variety of farming jobs from custom combining to irrigation engineer. Today, the family based company has 250 employees and sells thousands of pivot irrigation systems in 44 states and in more than 30 countries. Thom's farming background is what sets his company apart from other irrigation manufacturers. He stresses that before anything else he is a farmer and all newproducts are tested on his family's farm before being sold.

Fathers of Center Pivot Irrigation (II)

2008-10-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

Reinke Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Richard F. Reinke was born in Byron, Neb., in 1922. Reinke founded Reinke Manufacturing in 1954 and is considered the father of modern-day mechanized irrigation.

Overthe next 30 years, Reinke helped the company achieve 30 worldwide patents and many industry firsts, including offering a stainless steel mainline pivot. He passed away at age 80 on Feb. 27, 2003.

Fathers of Center Pivot Irrigation (I)

2008-10-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

Lindsay Manufacturing Company

In the 1950s, Paul Zimmerer started a farm equipment business in Lindsay, NE. One of his early products was the first successful irrigation towline for rough terrain.

Paul’s sons, Arthurand Bernard, designed and built the first Zimmatic center pivot in the 1960s.

The pivot’s electric drive system was designed to handle hilly terrain and featured the first enclosed worm gearboxes, which remain the standard drive mechanism on today’s electric center pivots. Lindsay Manufacturing Company's first Zimmatic center pivot was installed in 1969 on a farm near Newman Grove, NE.

Building a Center Pivot Irrigation System

2008-09-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

This video shows how to build a Center Pivot Irrigation System.

Theft of copper wire

2008-09-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested five area residents on Sept. 4 on charges of grand theft and felony criminal mischief in connection with the theft of copper wire, according to sheriff’s reports.

The five, four adults and one juvenile, all admitted guilt, according to Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office arrest notices.

In the reports filed by Sheriff’s Office Investigator Sergeant David Ehlert, copper wire from the tops of eight pivot irrigation systems in Hamilton County had been stolen between Aug. 10 and Sept. 1. The cost of the repairs to the pivots range from $2000 to $13,000, said Ehlert.

The five were booked into the Hamilton County Jail. The four adults remained in jail as of Wednesday, held on $60,000 bond each.

Giant green circles

2008-09-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

Travelers looking out airplane windows while flying across the United States may wonder what creates those giant green circles so visible from 30,000 feet.

The circles are crops irrigated with a self-propelled sprinkler irrigation system that rotates around a central point commonly called a “center pivot system” or “center pivot.”

Center pivots are so common that many people are surprised to learn they have existed only about 50 years. The center pivot's inventor, Frank Zybach received a patent for a “Self-propelled Sprinkler Apparatus” in July 1952.

The center pivot is the first, and most successful, robot for production agriculture. The center pivot can be used to irrigate from one to more than 600 acres. Varying the length of pipe or adding a corner attachment will allow center pivots to irrigate almost any size or shape field. An operator only has to turn on the water pump, start the center pivot and wait until the system completes its journey across the field, which can be scheduled from 12 hours to 10 days, depending on the volume of water applied.

Center pivots are used on about one-third of the irrigated land in the United States. In the Great Plains, they irrigate more than 90 percent, and that percentage is increasing each year.

Growing rice with center-pivot irrigation saves water and fuel

2008-09-16T02:33:00.000-07:00

Rice is an important crop in many places, and a staple food for many people worldwide. Traditionally, rice is grown with flood irrigation, a method that reduces weeds but is labor-intensive, requires lots of water and limits production to areas with the right climate and soil.

Some experiments are looking at a new way of growing rice, one that could expand rice production to places where it had been thought impossible.

Researchers are experimenting with center-pivot irrigation, an overhead sprinkler system commonly used on corn and soybeans. On rice, the technique requires less labor, water and fuel than traditional rice farming.

The main purpose of this experiment is to reduce water. It's possible to use half the water and energy with this system compared to a traditional rice field. The experiment was started in the spring, comparing the performance of pivot-irrigated rice to a traditional flooded rice field. The pivot showed its water-saving potential after just a few weeks.

On the flooded field, they used about 2 million gallons of water on a 6-acre field in just two-and-a-half weeks. On the pivot system, they hadn't even put out 1 million gallons yet and they had been watering for probably three weeks longer.

The method could triple rice production. With center-pivot irrigation, it would be possible to grow rice on fields with hills. It really opens up possibilities to other farmers who couldn't grow rice before.

Pivot water use in Nebraska

2008-09-09T01:42:00.000-07:00

Center pivot irrigation systems consume a lot of water in Nebraska.

Municipal supplies, domestic users, industries, commercial businesses, livestock and power plants are among the users of Nebraska’s water resources. None, however, use as much of Nebraska’s water as farmers irrigating their crops.

A new educational effort by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension seeks to inform center pivot irrigation operators on best practices aimed at reducing water consumption. In an unusual display of camaraderie, the major competing players in Nebraska’s center pivot irrigation industry have joined forces to help in the effort.

Valmont Irrigation of Valley, Reinke Manufacturing Co. of Deshler, T-L Irrigation Co. of Hastings and Lindsay Corp. of Lindsay will work with their dealers to hold educational sessions this winter for center pivot operators.

The way center pivots are managed and maintained can affect water consumption. The state must reach a “sustainable balance” of water users and supplies in these areas.

Many center pivot users need additional information on properly managing and maintaining their systems in ways that conserve water. Higher fuel prices and land values and water shortages have changed the way operators must manage their units.

Precautions when working with irrigation systems

2008-09-08T03:19:00.000-07:00

The following precautions should be taken when working with irrigation systems involving the use of electricity:

Make certain only well-trained people familiar with the National Electrical Code and the new irrigation standard are allowed to work on the wiring.
When servicing the machine, personally shut off and lock the master control switch.
Stay away from the machine during lightning storms. A properly installed machine is an ideal lightning receptor and will carry the current for long distances.
Install lightning arresters to protect equipment.
Mark the location of all buried electrical lines.
As with any electrical system, do not over-fuse. Instead, find out why the fuses are blowing and correct the problem.
Don't cut corners on the electrical installation to save money. Include the cost of the electrical components when estimating the cost of your system.
Avoid contact with overhead lines when moving equipment.
Use the disconnect switch located at each tower when working on the system. It is there to protect a person from injury if someone accidentally energizes the system or if the system automatically restarts after a power outage. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) requires the switch to be within 15 feet of the motor.
If you feel a tingle when you contact any part of the system, shut it down until a competent electrician can troubleshoot the system.

Center Pivot Sprinklers

2008-09-05T02:08:00.000-07:00

Sprinkler manufacturers have developed and marketed a large number of different sprinkler technologies that produce relatively large wetted diameters at reduced pressures.Thus, center pivot operators have a greater number of sprinkler packages to meet goals of reduced wind drift, reduced energy costs and increased water application efficiency.

The goal of every sprinkler or spray nozzle package is to apply water uniformly to the soil surface where it can be used by plants to produce grain or dry matter.Some performance characteristics can affect the suitability of a package for a specific set of field conditions.

Each sprinkler is designed to operate within a range of water pressures. Tipically, impact sprinklers can be operated over a wide range of pressures than low pressure spray nozzles.

One of the more recent changes resulting from new nozzle designs is related to water application patterns.The design process sought to achieve the largest wetted diameter and lowest operating pressure combination possible.

Water Applications for Center Pivots

2008-09-04T02:44:00.000-07:00

Today, the value of center pivots has increased even further as the tools available in the form of computer controls and sprinkler technology have reached a new plateau.

Center pivot applications have also expanded into the realm of applying not only water but also nutrientsand chemicals to the crop via fertigation and chemigation. Advances in sprinkler technology for mechanized irrigation have answered many of the previous challenges.

Today a grower can apply water and chemicals with precision uniformity and high irrigation efficiency. The improvements in irrigation efficiency, uniformity, andthe control of runoff illustrate major technological advancements.

REASONS TO RENOZZLE YOUR PIVOT SYSTEM

To add pressure regulators to compensate for pressure fluctuations and stabilize flowrate.
To replace old technology for better irrigation efficiency.
To improve irrigation uniformity.
To operate at lower pressure and save energy.
To improve crop yield and get a higher return per acre.
To adjust gallonage to match soil and crop requirements.
To replace worn out sprinklers and nozzles.
To minimize operating costs.
To take advantage of local power
To reduce runoff and solve wheel-tracking problems.

Electrical inspections in Center Pivot Systems

2008-09-03T01:34:00.000-07:00

Many irrigators have received minor tingles while working around electrical irrigation machinery. Under pressure to keep the system running, they tend to ignore warning signs until serious injury occurs. Two electrical inspection surveys point out the dangers of such practices.
A rural power supplier conducted a series of electrical tests and inspections of electrically driven Center Pivot Systems with electric pump motors. The survey showed 37 % were potentially hazardous because of the lack of a grounding conductor. Nearly 40 % did not have a ground rod installed. More than 50 % failed to have a fuse or a means of disconnection. Other hazardous situations were found, including loose connections, improper circuit and motor protection and deteriorated insulation.
A second series of inspections showed similar results. Of 77 systems inspected at the owners' requests, 10 were classified as lethal; 38 were definitely hazardous; the remaining 29 were potentially hazardous. The 10 lethal systems had current flowing to ground at the time of the inspection or had almost killed someone shortly before the inspection. The National Electrical Code (NEC) had been violated in all 77 installations.

Chemigation using Center Pivot Irrigation machines

2008-09-02T02:26:00.000-07:00

Chemigation is the application of agricultural chemicals such as pesticides or fertilizer with irrigation water. When used properly, chemigation is an environmentally sound and cost-effective way to apply many chemicals during the growing season. Safe and effective chemigation is accomplished by combining both good management and good equipment.

A very important part of management is accurate calibration. This fact sheet covers procedures for calibrating chemigation when using Center Pivot Irrigation Machines.
Chemigation calibration is the process of establishing how fast the center pivot will cover the field and adjusting the injection pump to apply the desired quantity of chemical per acre. Calibration insures that the proper amount of chemical is being applied thereby giving the highest economic gain and minimizing environmental risks.
Calibration is especially important when applying pesticides where specific label rates must be followed. The procedure for calibration is straight-forward, but it does involve a significant time commitment, an understanding of chemigation concepts, and basic mathematical skills. You will need to spend time and effort calibrating before any chemical is applied.
It is necessary that all parts of the irrigation and chemical injection system are operating properly. All chemigation safety equipment should be installed and operating (see FS 860 Chemigation Safety).
Always check the irrigation system for operating problems and uniformity of water distribution. Some older-style systems such as water drives may not have good water distribution because more water from the drive goes near the wheel track. Make sure that the nozzles are not worn and that all sprinklers are operating properly. Remember that the chemical can be applied only as uniformly as the water applied.
The irrigation system and the injection system must be calibrated. You need to know the following information when calibrating: acres covered, time to cover the field, depth of water applied, chemigation application rate, amount of chemical, injection rate.
Besides the chemigation equipment, other items to help with calibration include a stopwatch, calculator, long measuring tape, marking stakes or flags, and a calibration tube.

Pessimistic rain forecasts in Spain

2008-09-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Spain faced up to the most serious drought in the last 60 years, (aquifers level was near a quarter of its size). The poor rains achieved this year were not enough to fill reservoirs, and water consumption limitations started to be aplied.
The Spanish Ministry for the Agriculture promissed transforming 138,000 hectares with a 1,137 mill. € budget, (76%, public investment). Besides, it would improve existing irrigation lands with a 3,056 mill. € (50%, public inventment). These works were directed and guided by the respective official institution in each area. They pointed out the specifications to which, installing enterprises which took part in the works execution, were obliged to.
One of the aims was the water control with the help of counters installation. The specifications indicated technical and administrative prescriptions for volumetric counters installation and support. These counters should have European Economic Community official approval. Approval certificate made out by an official organ. And performance certificate or calibration made out by an official organ or an officially accredited laboratory.

Valmont's Center Pivot Patent

2008-08-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Valley struggled throughout the 1950s and 60s to refine their product and develop a customer base. Valley built only seven center pivot systems in 1955. By 1960, production had still only reached 50 units a year. Then, by the end of the 1960s, the market took off – just as the original patent protecting Zybach's invention ran out. By 1972, there were 2,725 pivot systems in Nebraska alone. By 1980, there were 18,785. And by 2002, there were an estimated 258,000 center pivots installed around the world. Even before the patent rain out in 1969, other companies were bringing out their own systems and claiming that they weren't using ideas from Zybach and Valley. Valley disagreed. The company filed a number of patent infringement lawsuits. They won most of them and settled out of court on others.

For the irrigation industry, the 1970s were like the Internet "Dot Com Bubble" period of the 1990s – lots of new companies tried their luck and ended going out of business. All told, more than 80 individuals and companies tried to manufacture and sell center pivot systems through the boom years. For a time around 1973, sales were stimulated by the Soviet Union buying up huge quantities of American grain. But by 1980, the export market dried up, agricultural credit dried up, farmers were in danger of losing their farms and almost all of the center pivot companies went out of business.

Today only a handful of center pivot companies remain in the USA, and the four largest: Valmont, T-L Irrigation, Lindsay, and Reinke: all based in Nebraska.

Sprinkler Systems Classification

2008-08-28T01:23:00.000-07:00

Center-Pivot Sprinkler Systems are classified according to pressure or nozzle type. Although there is no definite boundary between high, medium and low pressures, it is commonly accepted to have the following classifications:

High-pressure systems have pressures of more than 50 PSI at the Pivot.
Medium-pressure systems have 35 to 50 PSI at the Pivot.
Low-pressure systems have less than 35 PSI at the Pivot. LEPA (Low-Energy Precision Application) and LDN (Low Drift Nozzle) can operate on pivot pressures of 15 to 25 PSI.

Nominal operating pressures at the sprinkler head or water-emitting devices are constant for a particular head.

Nominal pressures for LEPA devices are 6 to 10 PSI.
Spray nozzles, rotators and spinners are 10 to 25 PSI.
Small impact heads with modified nozzles are 20 to 45 PSI.
Small impact sprinklers with round nozzles are 30 to 60 PSI.
Large impact sprinklers are 45 to 80 psi. The range for large impact sprinklers depends on nozzle type and size.

Pressures needed at the Pivot depend on pressure losses in the lateral due to friction losses and elevation differences along the lateral.
Impact sprinklers usually operate at high to medium pressures, are installed on the lateral pipe, and irrigate over the crop. Spray and rotary nozzles operate at medium to low pressures, are installed on the lateral pipe or on drop tubes or pipes, and result in "down in the crop" irrigation. Irrigation down in the crop reduces evaporation and wind drift.
A user should select a sprinkler package with an application rate that matches the soil's intake rate, satisfies crop water requirements, and functions under local climatic conditions (wind).

Center pivot irrigation

2008-08-27T01:26:00.000-07:00

Center-pivot Irrigation, is a method of crop irrigation in which equipment rotates around a pivot. A circular area centered on the pivot is irrigated, often creating a circular pattern in crops when viewed from above. The system is fed with water from the pivot point at the center of the circle.
Central pivot irrigation is a form of sprinkler irrigation consisting of several segments of pipe galvanized steel or aluminium, joined together and supported by trusses, mounted on wheeled towers with sprinklers positioned along its length. The inner sets of wheels are mounted at hubs between two segments and use angle sensors to detect when the bend at the joint exceeds a certain threshold, and thus, the wheels should be rotated to keep the segments aligned.
Centre pivots are typically less than 500m in length (circle radius) with the most common size being the standard 1/4 mile machine (400 m). Most center pivot systems now have drops hanging from a u-shaped pipe called a gooseneck attached at the top of the pipe with sprinkler heads that are positioned a few feet (at most) above the crop, thus limiting evaporative losses and wind drift. Drops can also be used with drag hoses or bubblers that deposit the water directly on the ground between crops. This type of system is known as Low Energy Precision Application. Crops may be planted in straight rows or are sometimes planted in circles to conform to the travel of the center pivot.
Most systems today are driven by an electric motor mounted at each tower. The equipment can also be configured to move in a straight line, where the water is pulled from a central ditch. In this scenario, the system is called a linear move irrigation system. Terrain needs to be reasonably flat, but one major advantage of centre pivots over alternative systems is the ability to function in undulating country.

Water conservation in Georgia

2008-08-26T02:15:00.000-07:00

Water conservation hasn't always been a top priority for farmers in Georgia. That's because water has been plentiful. But fields have suffered several droughts in recent years. So many farmers have improved the efficiency of their irrigation systems by adding low-pressure nozzles that reduce evaporation loss, and they also have started to use soil moisture monitors that eliminate guesswork about when to water.
A few began using a new computerized system (center pivot irrigation systems) that allows them to spray water onto crops exactly where it's needed without wasting it in bogs or other unplanted areas. Farmers in southwest Georgia have conserved this way more than 10 billion gallons of water.
The farmers' irrigation systems (huge metallic structures that roll across fields spraying water), have been modified with electronic circuitry that makes it possible for farmers to program precisely where the water goes. Pivot Irrigation systems: long, spindly, devices on wheels that "walk" slowly across fields spraying water were virtually unknown.

TRAXCO S.A. Center Pivot Components

2008-08-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

We supply since 1991 original irrigation components and spare parts for all Irrigation Pivot brands to use in all types of irrigation systems. If your pivot irrigation equipment needs upgrading, we are the answer to repair, renovate or put your system back to work. We supply parts for every pivot system.
A Pivot irrigation System is a form of sprinkler irrigation consisting of several segments of pipe (usually galvanized steel or aluminum) joined together and supported mounted on wheeled towers with sprinklers positioned along its length. The system moves in a circular or linear pattern and is fed with water from the pivot point at the center of the arc.