Center Pivot Irrigation – A Risk Management Tool!
From the day you start planning for a crop, you make decisions to increase the opportunity to have a successful crop with a strong probability it will create more revenue than expense…
profit!
Let’s take a quick look at some risk management tools you are probably already using in your crop production efforts
Soil Testing for Ph and Nutrient needs
Seed Selection for Climate and Soil type
Seed Bed Preparation, Seed Placement, Population
Crop Protection – Weeds, Insects, Diseases
Nutrient Application and Timing
Storage and Contracting for Market Timing/ Price Optimization
Drying and/or Processing Equipment to Optimize Value
Crop Insurance Protection for Disasters
What about water?
The single most important input for any living thing. Without adequate water, your efforts will be drastically compromised to grow a crop for a profit. Michigan is generally considered a supplemental irrigation state. The challenge is timing. Each plant has some very critical times when moisture is especially important. Can we afford to hope rain comes when we need it? While crop insurance can provide some relief, especially when a disaster occurs, it does not generally compensate for yields above the break-even point (desired profit).
Have you considered options for at least some of your fields to manage water delivery to your crops? History has shown that in the next two years, nearly 50% of Michigan’s crops will experience stress from lack of moisture.
Are you ready??
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pete is the marketing manager for Michigan Valley Irrigation, having joined the company in 2016. He was raised on a dairy farm in western New York and graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in agricultural economics. His entire working career of over 37 years has been involved in agriculture. A farmer helping farmers. When away from Michigan Valley he operates, Joyful Noise Farm, a small livestock and produce farm and spends time with his family.
