Are Your Nozzles Costing You Yield?

By: Dave Mowitz

New center pivots head to the field designed right down to the last nozzle to apply water as uniformly as possible across a field in order to maximize yield.

So when those nozzles become worn or are plugged, water distribution is jeopardized resulting in over- and underwatered areas in the field. This not only directly affects yields cutting them by 10% to 15% or greater (according to past university research) but can also cause runoff, soil erosion, deep percolation of water and nutrients, and anaerobic soil conditions (plant oxygen stress), warns Daran Rudnick, Extension irrigation engineer, and Rodrigo Werle, cropping systems specialist. Both men are with the University of Nebraska.

“Consequently, poor water distribution can have a negative effect on a farm’s net return as well as lead to potential environmental concerns,” Rudnick adds.