Probably the most significant change since I entered the workforce back in 1982 has been the amount of information and means to access it. Just the ability to locate, reproduce, move data and share it with the folks that “need-to-know things” is incredible. Not to mention studies and trials done around the globe are available for others to share and try variations to improve producing food in their local climate. Sometimes paring down available statistics that are most applicable is as daunting as any part of the deciding process…

Irrigation scheduling is the decision of when and how much water to apply to the field. Its purpose is to maximize irrigation efficiencies by applying the amount of water needed to replenish the soil moisture to the desired level.

In any equipment buying decision, price is a factor. It is a known and can be used to measure the other factors that impact the eventual cost. Let’s look at a center pivot irrigation project. This is a complicated process and often a large investment that can impact your operation for decades, making it worthy of serious consideration. While a complex evaluation, the total return on your investment is probably a good approach when deciding which vendor to select.

A few years ago the Houghton Lake Wastewater Authority was struggling to apply enough wastewater and keep the phosphorous and other nutrient levels in check at two of their land application sites. Today, Valley center pivot irrigation systems designed, sold and installed by Michigan Valley Irrigation are on both sites. Here is a quick walk-through of one project.

Center pivots are an efficient way to water larger fields. Many changes have occurred since the original water drive units. It appears that changes will continue to come even faster. With competition between multiple manufacturers and the growing demand for food, new ideas are being developed and tested at an ever-increasing rate. Sprinkler packages alone have gone from around 60% efficient in the 90’s to nearly 95% efficient today. So, if you haven’t upgraded your sprinkler packages in less that 10 years, that would be a great place to start.

Adding some diversity to your operation can benefit your business in several ways. Combining livestock and crops can help to improve your soil and decrease purchased inputs. Multiple crop species rotated can lower harmful insect populations, reduce weed pressure, and minimize specific nutrient deficiencies. Having income from a variety of sources can prevent large losses if a particular type of product has a challenging year either on the production side or the marketing side.

During my nearly 30 years as an agricultural lender, I noticed that in many cases the difference between an average management team and a highly profitable team was the ability to notice and fine tune the details. Even those operations that had a distinct initial financial advantage due to the previous generation’s successful management skills, struggled over time if they did not pay attention to the little things. It seems quite natural to pay attention to major decisions because of the obvious significant impact. If we neglect the perceived minor decisions, especially if they are often repeated, over time they will add up to a major loss in income.