Today’s irrigator has several ways to increase efficiency.
Efficiency translates into profits, and companies like Lindsay Corporation, Omaha, Nebraska, have been pioneers. Lindsay’s offerings include its FieldNET and FieldNET Advisor irrigation management programs. FieldNET Advisor simplifies irrigation decisions for growers. Through advanced technology, the program improves the products’ return on investment with real-time data upgrades, whole farm management and simplified subscriptions.
Justin Gibson, senior manager of digital agronomy, said Lindsay, manufacturer of Zimmatic irrigation systems, is investing in technology that benefits growers.
“Our entire product portfolio is all about ways to increase irrigation efficiency,” Gibson said. “If you are upgrading your pivot, and you want more efficient nozzles, we can provide solutions. If you want to take a larger step, you can track and monitor to make sure you have made the right water application.”
An irrigator can change the application rate from a cell phone, laptop or home computer, he said.
Gibson said FieldNET Advisor is a result of listening to growers. “Our FieldNET Advisor platform is one that growers have come to love,” he said. “One of the benefits is they can see their whole farm at a glance.”
The growers have a spatial view of water application. Gibson said growers want to see pivots working, but they wanted to use technology to see if there were trouble spots in a field, and Global Positioning System technology has given them a tool to accomplish that task.
The satellite imagery and working with the FieldNET Advisor mean growers can monitor even small patches in a large field to check on performance. The newest version can look at the canopy of plants and evapotranspiration rates, Gibson said, and use the technology to estimate water usage and track growing conditions.
“FieldNET Advisory is making it easier for growers to operate, and that builds confidence and is more scalable for their operation,” Gibson said.
Lindsay’s approach has been that the best success comes from talking to growers and dealers who have a front-row seat to their needs, he said.
Working with a dealer is essential to staying up to date with technology, he said.
There are also some other dos and don’ts for them. Do pay attention to weather and data that is available at one’s fingertips, he said. A don’t is to not defer maintenance because it is much more costly to address those in the middle of season. He also said do not be afraid to use technology or to ask a dealer.
Retrofitting new technology to older sprinklers can improve efficiency, he said. Lindsay’s FieldNET Advisor can also be used on other pivot brands.
Gibson said over the next five years technology from satellite systems will be able to help growers even more. Satellite technology will provide even more information for growers to learn more about the crops they have planted and their health, he said.
Lindsay will continue to focus on providing information to growers that will allow them to be able to work with their software and hardware needs. Gibson said not only does he want to provide growers with more information but, just as importantly, he wants to help them learn how to apply data more efficiently within their own operation.
Growers want to be able to fine tune their software that can control the speed of the pivot or even to individual nozzles. Gibson said growers know their fields and even variances in soil health can occur in small patches, and they look for ways to make adjustments in water application so plants can uniformly grow.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
