TECHNOLOGY


Shorter crops like wheat or alfalfa can benefit from drops and a lower sprinkler mounting height. At low sprinkler mounting heights it is especially important to account for field terrain to prevent the sprinklers from getting too low into the crop or even dragging on the ground.


Breaking down decision-making


MODERN CENTER PIVOT MANUFACTURERS HAVE AN AMAZING ARRAY OF ENGINEERING AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS TO OFFER THE AGRICULTURAL IRRIGATION INDUSTRY.


The acronym CROPS is a helpful way for dealers and growers to work through the water application thought process. Each decision made relating to the way the center pivot operates will affect the performance or uniformity of the water application package itself.


C


– canopy. Will the sprinklers be mounted above the canopy of the crop or within it? You may be growing corn in the Midwest


or alfalfa in Eastern Oregon, but either way, having a plan based on whether the sprinklers are in canopy or not is going to have an effect on everything else. If the sprinklers are on top of the pipe or just above the canopy, locating them at a height to reduce any stream obstruction that would limit the sprinkler’s radius must be considered, and


18 Irrigation TODAY | Summer 2020


obstructions must be avoided if possible. Any water that may have been lost to evaporation will not matter much if you have overwhelmed the soil by having too little radius and/or too large a droplet and are then seeing water and soil run out of the field. The “sweet spot” for sprinkler height has to do with where it can be mounted to minimize stream or droplet obstruction.


R


– radius. Your decision on where to place the sprinklers in relation to the crop canopy will impact the effective radius of the


sprinklers. For maximum radius, place the sprinklers at about the height of the crop at maturity but avoid as much structural steel as possible. If wind is an issue or the sprinklers are down deep in the canopy, you will not be able to use wide spacing. For in-canopy sprinkler placements, a reduced effective radius will result.


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