Now that we have improved efficiency with our sprinklers and are often applying fertilizer and chemicals through our pivots, efficiency and accuracy of application are more important. The one drawback to the primary end gun at the end of the pivot is that about 80% of the water is being delivered to the last 20% of the coverage zone. How can we improve on that? Enter the auxiliary end gun.
Center pivot irrigation should be considered an investment in your real estate. With lifetimes of forty years or more, for quality pivot systems, it really is more like a building or storage structure than equipment. History has shown that center pivot irrigation systems may add value to your real estate, nearly dollar for dollar including wells and buried pipe and wire…
Alfalfa, hay, and mixed species pasture crops have a very high demand for water. If you could achieve 1st cutting yield on subsequent cuttings (Generally 30 – 60% of annual yield), would that peak your interest? The following information tries to give you a snapshot of what your hay and pastures need, compared to what mother nature provides. While these crops are a bit more difficult to measure, without a yield monitor, perhaps you should make the effort.
Corn requires more water than many other crops to stay cool and produce a bountiful yield. The important part of this equation is when the peak demand is needed relative to when Michigan gets its rainfall. While soil types with various water holding capacities can play a big role in plant available water, the following chart is designed to encourage you look at your farm and specific fields.
While most everyone would love to have the cash to invest in improvements in their farm, it is not always available. So how do you determine the best places to use your cash as opposed to utilizing financing? Investing in irrigation can be a significant drain on cash, especially when you are just getting started and often incurring more infrastructure cost like wells. Because the impact on yield from timely water application can offset interest expense, utilizing financing for irrigation projects may be a better place to explore financing tools.
While Michigan is a supplemental irrigation state, meaning we generally get enough water to make a crop, the additional yield gained from timely water application can have a positive impact on your profitability. The following information is designed to help you consider some of the key factors in determining if investing in center pivot irrigation is a viable option to consider.
