What does a center pivot cost?

Center pivot irrigation is a common technique in farming, yet it has the highest costs. Diesel alone can cost up to $25,000 yearly for 15 acre-inches per center pivot system. Farmers have enormous pressure to reduce costs and save water, but it’s not easy without jeopardizing crop quality and yield.

What does a center pivot do?

As the name suggests, center pivots irrigate in a circular pattern around a central pivot point. Pivots are capable of applying water, fertilizer, chemicals, and herbicides. This versatility can improve the efficiency of irrigation practices by using a single piece of machinery to perform several functions.

How much does it cost to irrigate an acre?

Small systems which are operated by manual labor and gravity flow can cost as little as $50 and irrigate a small garden. Larger systems requiring pumps and permanent piping can cost from $1800 to $2500 an acre. All irrigation systems will cost you time to operate and manage.

Why do farmers plant in circles?

The circular pattern, however, is different from the regular patchwork many people imagine traditional farm fields to be. The shape is the result of the center pivot irrigation, a development of the post-World War II era that profoundly changed the course of American food production.

How much land can a center pivot spray irrigation system irrigate?

Center pivots are available to irrigate from 5 to 500 ac (2 to 200 ha) although a typical machine will generally irrigate about 125 to 130 acres (50-52 ha) . Economic considerations usually limits their application to irrigated areas larger than 50 ac (20 ha).

What is the drawback of using pivot irrigation?

11 Disadvantages/Cons/Drawbacks of center pivot irrigation: Crops sensitive to stream or crown wetting. Lack of aeration in the root zone. Wind affects the water distribution. Evaporation losses can be high.

How much water does it take to irrigate 1 acre?

It takes 27,154 gallons of water to irrigate one acre of land with an inch of water. This measurement is useful when you need to water one or more acres and need to evaluate whether your current flow rate is adequate for getting it done according to your schedule.

How much does a small pivot cost?

Installing small-field pivots costs $2,000 to more than $3,000 per acre, Brent explains. His estimates include the cost of the pivot, drilling a well and paying the power company to run electricity to a control point for the pivot.