Mechanised irrigation systems are the leading method of crop irrigation in many agricultural areas around the world. Mechanised irrigation systems are steadily replacing traditional flood irrigation and other types of sprinklers, as well as subsurface drip irrigation (SDI).

Irrigation conversions are often made to cut down on farm labour costs but, as an added benefit, mechanised irrigation systems are also highly efficient, with up to 95% efficiency in water application uniformity.

Three reasons to choose mechanised irrigation:

1. Mechanised irrigation systems cost less, last longer and retain their value. Your initial investment for a centre pivot is much smaller than for a drip irrigation system.

2. You can cut down on labour costs and save time with a mechanised irrigation system. One person can run multiple machines covering hundreds of hectares using remote management.

3. A mechanised irrigation system can be used on virtually any crop and has a higher application efficiency than drip irrigation. Applying the correct quantity of water at the right time is crucial to achieving a good yield, but it is also important to apply it uniformly and at precisely the right quantity.

Reinke is at the leading edge of farming technology. Our remote management systems, variable rate irrigation technology and sprinkler efficiency make a centre pivot the right choice for your operation.

The long life of a pivot or lateral system will save you money year after year. You will use less water, reducing your energy costs, and at the same time increase your yields.

DRIP IRRIGATION		PIVOT
Drip systems cost 20 to 100% more than pivots depending on line spacing and total size.	INITIAL COST	Pivots typically cost between US$584 and US$993 per hectare. The bigger the system, the cheaper it gets per hectare.
The 50 000 emitters on a 50 ha drip system requires considerably more dedicated management than centre pivots. And that doesn’t even take into account the filter, drip lines, system controls, and higher pressure pumpsets needed.	MANAGEMENT	The 150 sprinklers on a 50 ha centre pivot installation are easily maintained with convenient system control. You can easily see when a sprinkler isn’t operating properly, unlike with a drip system that is buried underground.
Installing a drip system is difficult. You must choose tape depth carefully to allow cultivation practices without damaging the drip tape.	INSTALLATION	Pivot installation is an easy and standardised process.
A drip system’s lifespan ranges normally between 7 and 10 years and can be drastically shortened through mechanical damage due to cultivation or blockages.	LIFESPAN	A typical Reinke pivot has a lifespan of more than 25 years. The first Reinke pivot ever built – in 1968 – is still in operation today!
You must constantly monitor drip system filters, then flush or change them when necessary to prevent significantly lower crop yields.	FILTER MAINTENANCE	There is little or no filtering when using a pivot or linear system.
Subsurface drip systems cannot stimulate seed germination if the drip tape is placed below the root zone. Some drip irrigators also use sprinklers for germination.	GERMINATION	Water from the sprinkler heads on a pivot comes down over the whole soil profile like rain, causing seeds to germinate. In fact, pivots can easily be fitted with a dual sprinkler package – one for germination and one for irrigation.
With a drip systems you must perodically apply chemicals to dissolve mineral  oncentrations and kill roots that could block the dripper.	PLUGGING AND LEAKING	The sprinklers on a pivot are visible at all times, so plugging and leaking are not problems.
Drip irrigation causes salt to accumulate at the dividing line between the irrigated zone and the non-irrigated zone in the soil, so that the soil becomes salinised over time. Eventually, a sprinkler system will have to flush the accumulated salt to below the crop root zone for the field to remain fertile.	SOIL SALINATION	Overhead sprinklers distribute water evenly over the surface, which irrigates the crop and leaches the salts in the soil to below the root zone.
Pests can attack vulnerable drip tape and cause leaks. It takes a lot of time and money to combat these pests.	PESTS	Pests cannot easily damage the steel structure and spray nozzles of a centre pivot.
With a drip system, crop rotation is difficult because of the predetermined row spacing.	CROP ROTATION	Crop rotation offers no problem with a pivot.

The use of high strength steel makes a Reinke system both tough and dependable. That is why Reinke is the irrigation system of choice of farmers all over the world for more than 60 years now. A Reinke irrigation system pays itself many times over during its lifespan, and will provide proper water application at the right time to every part of your field throughout the growing season, to ensure winning yields.

Contact Patrick Ellis, director, Reinke South Africa, at 031-350-4525, or send an e-mail to Patrickellis@reinke.com.

Also see Reinke products on Agri4all.