Farmers Invest In This Lateral Irrigation System For Simplified Farming

When designing an irrigation system for a large field, both lateral move irrigation and center pivot irrigation are considered. Both systems are self-propelled, overhead irrigation systems and are nearly identical in structure and purpose. The primary distinction is that a center pivot sprinkler is anchored at one end and rotates around a fixed point, whereas a lateral move system is not anchored and both ends of the machine move at the same speed. With a uniform sprinkler pattern, lateral move irrigation systems cover 98% of a square or rectangular field, making it an excellent alternative to a center pivot irrigation system.

The primary distinction is that a center pivot sprinkler is anchored at one end and rotates around a fixed point, whereas a lateral move system is not anchored and both ends of the machine move at the same speed. With a uniform sprinkler pattern, lateral move irrigation systems cover 98% of a square or rectangular field, making it an excellent alternative to a center pivot irrigation system.

Things to Consider in a Lateral Move Irrigation System

A User-Friendly Control Panel to Simplify Irrigation Management

One of the primary reasons you're thinking about installing a new lateral move irrigation system is the time it will save your company. Look for systems that simplify the process and are easy to use to avoid spending even more time managing your irrigation system.

Real-Time Irrigation Adjustments and Accurate Guidance

Premium laterals may include advanced GPS guidance, allowing growers to precisely navigate their system along run lengths. Quick virtual stops and real-time kinematic (RTK) adjustments to the run path and endpoints are simple.

Application of Precise Water and Fertigation

Laterals are ideal for high-value crops that require high water uniformity and precise chemical application control. Watering sensitive crops uniformly prevents over- or under-watering. This eliminates the possibility of the lateral running dry, reducing surface runoff and deep percolation.

Adaptable to your Industry

Most laterals are designed with a modular span and a variety of customizable options, allowing them to be factory-tailored to your field.

Two Models to Complement Your Water Supply

Hose Fed: The most common system is the hose-fed system, which delivers water to the lateral via a large hose connected to a pressurized mainline.

Ditch Fed: Ditch-fed systems can draw water from an existing ditch in the field's center or at its edge. Ditch-fed laterals are only available as a four-wheel cart and are less common and more expensive to install than hose-fed systems.

Alternatives for Power

The majority of laterals have a cable-powered system or an onboard diesel and generator set. Commercial power is only available for hose-fed laterals and is delivered via heavy-duty, mining-type cable.

Now let’s move forward and look at some advantages and disadvantages of lateral irrigation system

The advantages of the Lateral Move Irrigation System are:

Price application:

The systems can apply a predetermined volume of water to meet crop water requirements. If the system is designed to match soil infiltration characteristics, it reduces the possibility of surface runoff or deep percolation.

Reduced variability:

Application efficiencies for new well-designed machines have been reported to be in the 80-95% range, compared to 50-90% for surface irrigation systems.

Lower labor requirements:

In general, labor requirements are lower than for surface irrigation, but this depends on the system and/or the degree of automation of the machine.

Fertigation opportunities:

Fertigation allows for the targeted application of small amounts of nutrients with reasonable uniformity and less risk of nutrient losses. Herbicides and pesticides can also be applied using the irrigation system.

Less land forming:

The system can operate on rolling terrain. However, some land forming may be required for surface drainage or rainfall-induced runoff.

The drawbacks are as follows

Cost:

The systems have a relatively high capital cost when compared to surface irrigation systems unless significant land forming is required for the surface system to perform optimally. Running costs can be significant and must be considered during the design process.

Energy requirements:

These systems must be powered by an energy source (electric or diesel).

Water quality:

Water may need to be filtered before use to avoid sediment buildup in the system. Poor water quality can shorten the life of irrigation infrastructure.

A circular field leaves a lot of unused space, which is one disadvantage of a center lateral move irrigation system.