Center Pivot Irrigation Boosts Yields for Georgian Operation

Before moving to center pivot irrigation, the team at Agrograin, LLC in the Republic of Georgia used hose reels to irrigate their corn.

“With the hose reels, they were not able to get uniform irrigation in every part of their field. It’s also a time consuming and expensive way to water crops,” said Mamuka Jimshiashvili, of ProAgro LLC, the Zimmatic™ dealership in the Republic of Georgia. “After reviewing the climate conditions, terrain and crop water needs, we convinced the customer to test a Zimmatic 9500P on one of his fields. The result was better than expected, and we determined the 9500P was the best solution.”

Seven pivots now work on the Agrograin operation, including what’s believed to be the longest pivot in the Transcaucasia region - the area on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. At 720 meters (787 yards) long, the pivot can irrigate 163 hectares (403 acres) in just one turn.

“The Zimmatic 9500P is the most rugged center pivot model of the Zimmatic family,” said Jimshiashvili. “Built with the industry’s thickest pipeline and smartest design, it can handle any field and take on the toughest terrain. Unlike other brands, it can be used on 15-degree inclines, which is a very important advantage in Georgia.”

The Agrograin pivots are also equipped with FieldNET™ technology, giving the grower the ability to monitor and control the irrigation system at any time via a smartphone or computer.

“FieldNET is a very good tool to manage the whole process of irrigation,” he said. “It reduces labor costs and provides the grower with the information he needs to make better-informed irrigation decisions.”

Since installing that first center pivot, the team at ProAgro has formed a lasting, successful partnership with the team at Agrograin.

“Using center pivot irrigation, their yield increased by 50-70 percent,” said Jimshiashvili. “They are loyal customers, and we will install an eighth pivot on their operation later this year.”

Jimshiashvili said the ProAgro team is also working on three other projects - with three more center pivot installations.

“Since becoming a Zimmatic dealer in 2013, we’ve installed a total of 15 pivots - all of them 9500P pivots. We also recently added the Zimmatic 7500P and 9520PL to our product portfolio,” he said. “The outlook is positive for us. We are working together with TBC Bank, the leading bank in Georgia, so we can offer easy financing to farmers who want to install our pivots. In addition, because of increased Russian export/import taxes, more Georgian farmers want to substitute imports with local production - which is good for us and the country.”