With supply up and global demand down, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is expecting farm income to drop for the third consecutive year. Because of that, growers are looking for new ways to bolster their bottom lines without buying or renting more land.
“We’ve seen the numbers, and we know growers are concerned,” said Dirk Lenie, vice president of global marketing at Lindsay Corporation. “They’re looking for ways to make every acre productive.”
For growers with imperfect fields, that could mean bringing previously non-irrigated acres into production. Global Zimmatic Product Manager Christopher Higgins said options are available to add flexibility into center pivot irrigation systems – including articulated pivot systems, drop span and customer corner options. Each allows growers to pick up irrigated acres and increase yields.
* The Zimmatic FieldPLUS articulated pivot is designed to irrigate irregularly shaped fields or fields with immovable obstacles. Its spans can pivot 165 degrees in either direction – irrigating land that would be unreachable with a standard pivot. The exclusive FieldPLUS joint can be place at any tower, allowing the creation of a system that is customized for a particular field.
* With the 9500DS drop span option, growers are able to quickly and easily drop obstructed outer spans, irrigate and then re-attach those spans to the pivot after it returns. This allows the pivot to pick up more acres whiled avoiding buildings, equipment and fences.
* The 9500 CC is the most technologically advanced corner system on the market. It can adapt to the various unique characteristics of the field, and the system’s built in computer control panel allows for increased control in the field. SmartChip water application software provides pinpoint application adjustments.
"Growers today have a lot of variability in their operations: irregular fields, rough and smooth terrain, different soils, etc. This means they need equipment choices that are configurable for a specific piece of land,” said Randy Wood, president of agricultural irrigation at Lindsay Corporation. “We've met these evolving needs by expanding the Zimmatic product line so growers can maximize production on every acre – no matter what the economy is like.”
For more information about, contact your local Zimmatic dealer or visit www.zimmatic.com.