Center Pivot Systems

Low Pressure Drop Irrigation Center Pivot Systems

The center pivot system addresses many issues that are key to our mission and efforts to safeguard the environment and improve neighbor relations. After testing all aspects of the system in 1997, Iowa Select installed low-pressure drop irrigation center pivot systems at a large number of its farms.

The center pivot application system is approximately 1,200 feet long and is comprised of drop arms extending from the pivot to 24 inches above the ground and equipped with low pressure nozzles. The center pivot is designed to apply high volumes of effluent from anaerobic lagoons through low-pressure nozzles to growing crops throughout the growing season.

The uniform distribution of nutrients and ability to apply very light applications with each pass eliminates ponding and run-off, providing an essential water quality protection measure. The programmable system offers additional environmental safeguards through the ability to control speed, volume and start/stop based on rainfall events. The direct hardwire connection to the pump provides environmental protection through safe application - if the system stops due to wind, rain or low pressure, the pump will also stop.

Odor from application is reduced and nearly eliminated in several ways. The system is programmed to stop based on wind speed which eliminates odor drift. Possible odor drift is also eliminated by applying nutrients below the crop canopy and near the ground level. Also, programming the system to apply nutrients throughout the late evening or early morning hours not only systematically reduces odor, but also reduces any inherent perception of odor.

In addition to the environmental benefits of the center pivot, the neighboring row-crop producer receives moisture and nutrients throughout the growing season anytime the weather permits without soil compaction. Though center pivot systems are scarcely used in central Iowa due to typically ample seasonal rainfall, in a year of low moisture, the "on-demand" feature of the center pivot system could prove invaluable to our neighbor's crops under the pivot.