The Irrigation Association (IA) announces that Monty Teeter of Ulysses, Kan., has been named the recipient of the 2019 Innovator Award. The IA’s Innovator Award honors individuals who have made significant, tangible contributions to the irrigation industry within the past five years.
Teeter started Teeter Irrigation in 1977 and continues to innovate today, culminating in the development of Dragon-Line, a mobile drip irrigation system that combines the benefits of center pivot and drip irrigation into one. This innovation primarily focuses on overcoming hurdles that had slowed the adoption of mobile drip irrigation over the years. Teeter’s innovation and devotion to efficient irrigation created solutions to address these hurdles, including how to firmly attach the driplines on a center pivot or linear-move system for different crop heights, the ability to reverse the center pivot without kinking the dripline, and determining which system to adopt for different plant crops.
“Monty embodies the spirit of the Innovator Award in the way he approaches his business every day,” says IA CEO Deborah Hamlin. “The development of Dragon-Line and its global adoption are changing the way farmers efficiently irrigate their crops. Monty’s leadership in this development and adoption is allowing farmers to grow more while using less water.”
Even after the development of Dragon-Line, Teeter continues to innovate the technology through designing a dual application system, which maintains the sprinkler package while adding driplines for activities such as germination or herbicide application.
“I’d like to thank my family, friends, everyone at Teeter Irrigation and the Irrigation Association for this recognition,” says Teeter. “I could not be prouder of the work everyone has put into making Dragon-Line what it is today. I’m honored to accept this award on behalf of everyone involved in this innovation.”
The Innovator Award was presented to Teeter during the general session of the Irrigation Show and Education Week in Las Vegas on Dec. 5. More information about this and other IA awards and past recipients can be found at www.irrigation.org/awards.