When a farmer must make the decision to purchase an irrigation purchase a pivot irrigation system or to replace other forms of irrigation with this system, he is making an investment for the next 20 years. He should pay special attention to the purchase of irrigation equipment and ask himself:
At Chamsa we recommend that when buying an irrigation system of this type, farmers should also pay attention to the brand of equipment and consider some aspects such as the quality of the product manufacturer, the support that the manufacturer provides, the product warranty, the manufacturer's commitment to the business, how innovative the manufacturer is in relation to new technologies, etc ....
One of the most important design aspects to consider in the installation of a center pivot is to ensure that there is an adequate water supply. This aspect seems very basic, but it is essential to take it into account.
The amount of water needed is directly related to the climate of the area and the type of crop to be planted. The evapotranspiration values for the area must be determined, as sometimes these values will lead to the most appropriate design to provide the required amount of water. However, there are many cases in which the farmer is faced with a fixed amount of water available or flow rate. In any case, it is necessary to find out the amount of water that will be possible to supply in a given period of time.
If the Pivot is towed from one location to another, the time required in towing and the time lost in towing must also be considered. This reduces the effective capacity of the machine and can lead to problems keeping up with the water needs of the crop if proper planning is not done.
In areas where water supply is abundant, the mistake is sometimes made in designing the Pivot for more flow than is needed. This can lead to problems such as the occurrence of runoff, increased energy needs, higher energy consumption and over-irrigation if the farmer does not pay attention to irrigation scheduling techniques.
One of the most important functions of a center pivot is to supply water to the crop in an efficient manner. Therefore, the selection and design of sprinkler equipment is very important. The choice of sprinkler equipment depends on many factors, but the most important are: characteristics of the area, type of soil, available pressure and flow rate, and type of crop. There are a wide variety of sprinkler devices that can be installed in a center pivot to supply water. Thecenter pivot industry has pushed for the adoption of very efficient emitters installed in the downspouts to apply water closer to the soil surface and with the minimum amount of energy required, as well as minimum evaporation.
These are some of the aspects to take into account when designing the sprinkler equipment: