Crops
Explore pivot irrigation benefits for a variety of crops and growing conditions.
At Lindsay, we know that making sure the right amount of water reaches your crops is essential for producing high yields. That’s why pivot irrigation is an ideal solution for providing optimal irrigation with precision application—maximizing yields and profits.
How can pivot irrigation benefit your crops?
Learn about the importance of properly irrigating key crops around the world.
Wheat
No matter what stage of growth your wheat crops are in, proper irrigation has a big role to play. For most wheat varieties—and particularly for high-production varieties—early irrigation can produce good yields when soils are deep with adequate water-holding capacity and sufficient storage.
However, water deficits during the yield formation period can result in reduced grain weight and shriveling due to hot, dry, strong winds. Zimmatic center pivots can offer uniform application and maximum coverage in addition to providing needed fertigation or chemigation that fosters growth and protects crops from unexpected events.
Corn
As a corn plant grows, its demand for water rises with increasing leaf area, which reaches a maximum near the tasseling stage. The period of time shortly before pollination through early grain fill, when the kernels begin to dent, is the most critical period during which adequate moisture is important to corn yield.
Irrigation scheduling is the key to achieving optimal yields as both overwatering and underwatering can result in loss. Plus, overwatering can also result in higher operating costs. FieldNET remote management can help growers monitor and control irrigation from anywhere, providing integrated water, fertigation and chemigation management.
Soybeans
Soybean is one of the world’s most important crops and is grown for oil and protein. With proper irrigation management, you can optimize yield per unit of water applied, minimize loss due to crop water stress and promote good management practices. But where do you start?
Soybean plant development is divided into two periods: the vegetative and reproductive. While irrigation management during the vegetative stages is fairly simple, it requires a little more attention during the reproductive period—especially during the pod development and the seed fill. With Zimmatic center pivots and control panels, growers can simplify management and maximize yields.
Rice
Rice is the primary source of food for more than half the world’s population—and that demand is only continuing to grow. Zimmatic delivers efficient irrigation systems to help deliver the precise amount of water at the right times to produce high-yielding rice crops, even on sandier or lighter soils and sloping or hilly terrain.
Research has shown up to 50% water savings for rice with pivot irrigation as compared to traditional flood irrigation. In addition, the control and accuracy pivots provide can help growers when weather doesn’t cooperate as well as lower production costs.
Potatoes
Potatoes are shallow-rooted and more sensitive to soil moisture stress than crops with deeper roots. Moisture stress (depending on the crop growth stage) can reduce tuber yields, produce misshapen tubers and negatively affect processing quality.
At Lindsay, we take into account moisture requirements for potatoes when designing pivot or lateral irrigation systems to meet your cash crop needs. These factors can include cultivar maturity characteristics, plant population, water-holding capacity of the soil, climate, and whether tubers are grown for seed or consumption markets.
Sugar Cane
The right amount of water at the right time is critical for yield and for greater amounts of sucrose. Overwatering can decrease yield as much as a water deficit, but center pivots and lateral-move machines can provide uniform and precise application where and when needed.
Zimmatic irrigation systems are a long-lasting solution with less maintenance hassles and a higher return on investment. Additional features like exclusive structural designs ensure superior strength and durability, while options like an advanced driveline can take on demanding sugar cane applications characterized by thick and damp foliage.
Alfalfa and Hay
Alfalfa is one of the most important forage crops grown for hay in the world today because, with ample water, it has the ability to produce high yields of very good-quality feed that is high in protein. However, inadequate water can lead to nitrates accumulating in the crop, which could lead to nitrate poisoning in livestock.
Zimmatic pivot irrigation systems help to deliver optimal water and precise fertilizer application to produce greater yield and prevent the buildup of nitrates. Plus, the pivots work at lower pressures which greatly reduce energy costs for an added benefit to growers.
Cotton
Cotton is considered a drought-tolerant crop, yet it responds well to sufficient water. However, water stress is always a concern as it affects both the production and distribution of carbohydrates throughout the plant as well as shortening of fibers. Carbohydrate imbalance can restrict excessive vegetative growth.
The plant’s response to water stress varies depending on the stage of growth, the degree of stress and the length of time the stress is imposed. Pivot irrigation is an effective and efficient way to provide proper irrigation management and fertigation to minimize stress and increase yield.
Peanuts
High-ranking peanut producers know that water management is crucial to high yields and high quality. Peanut plants, although somewhat drought-tolerant, still need adequate water in a timely manner throughout early, mid and late growing seasons to thrive.
The roots are especially important for water uptake and delivery. Since peanut plants are grown in lighter or more shallow soils, center pivots or lateral-move machines can be an ideal solution for irrigating crops without any water stress as well as managing soil moisture to help minimize disease or insect infestations.
Discover the benefits of irrigation for biofuels.
Learn why this renewable energy source is gaining a large following among growers as a cost-effective option that’s saving more than just our planet.
Control your operation from anywhere.
FieldNET provides a fully integrated wireless management tool that lets you virtually monitor, manage and control your irrigation system. That means keeping an eye on crops even when you’re not in the field.
Find your nearest dealer.
Your local Zimmatic dealer is always here to help find which irrigation solutions can best maximize your productivity and profits.