Optimal performance from center pivot sprinkler systems

A good supply of groundwater and the commercial development of center pivot irrigation systems significantly increased sprinkler-irrigated acreage in southern Idaho during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Today, center pivot systems, with their automation, large areal coverage, reliability, high application uniformity, and ability to operate on relatively rough topography, are replacing surface; handline, and wheelline systems. The irrigated area under a center pivot system expands substantially with increasing system length. To accommodate the increased area, the application rate increases linearly along the center pivot lateral through one of two methods: increased flow rates through equally spaced Sprinklers or gradually decreased spacing of equal-flow sprinklers along the center pivot lateral. The most common approach is to have equally spaced sprinklers with increasing flow rates (nozzle sizes) along the center pivot lateral