Let's Go Gliding with the SSA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeOKjjaMCP0

On Tuesday, May 29, 2012 4:33:09 PM UTC-4, Frank Whiteley wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeOKjjaMCP0

Dumb question for today:
At around 2 minutes, there are rectangular fields with green circles... why are the crops planted in circles instead of using the full field?

-John (who's only ever seen crops filling the field area)

On Wednesday, May 30, 2012 11:36:02 AM UTC-5, C-FFKQ (42) wrote:
On Tuesday, May 29, 2012 4:33:09 PM UTC-4, Frank Whiteley wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeOKjjaMCP0

Dumb question for today:
At around 2 minutes, there are rectangular fields with green circles... why are the crops planted in circles instead of using the full field?

-John (who's only ever seen crops filling the field area)

Most of the farmland in the US west of the Mississippi requires irrigation in order to be able to grow much at all. The most common type of irrigation is a center pivot arm that rotates around the middle of the field, hence the circular shape. Of course the land was divided up in most places on 1 mile grids back in the Pioneer days so the corners have gone unused. In some places the corners are still planted with some crops, although further west and south the corners are just left to die since it is not economical to grow anything on non-irrigated land. Generally the corners are the preferred landing spots unless they have been left for wild for a long time, in which case you want to land tangent to the circle and avoid the deep ruts that the tires from the center pivot leave.

On Wednesday, May 30, 2012 9:36:02 AM UTC-7, C-FFKQ (42) wrote:
On Tuesday, May 29, 2012 4:33:09 PM UTC-4, Frank Whiteley wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeOKjjaMCP0

Dumb question for today:
At around 2 minutes, there are rectangular fields with green circles... why are the crops planted in circles instead of using the full field?

-John (who's only ever seen crops filling the field area)

They are round because the irrigation sprinklers roll around in circles. As with many types of fields well worth walking and looking at and talking a farmer about these - including how to stop the irrigator should it be about to roll over your glider. Depending on the crop, crop height and surface it may be better to land in the corners, especially to avoid deep ruts from the irrigator wheels. With crops like a short alfalfa the round surface can be billiard table smooth (if you miss the ruts).

Darryl

On May 30, 12:36*pm, "C-FFKQ (42)" wrote:
On Tuesday, May 29, 2012 4:33:09 PM UTC-4, Frank Whiteley wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeOKjjaMCP0

Dumb question for today:
At around 2 minutes, there are rectangular fields with green circles... why are the crops planted in circles instead of using the full field?

-John (who's only ever seen crops filling the field area)

In the more arid areas of the US, long sprinkler pipes on wheels very
slowly roll around the field in a huge circle.
They are anchored at the middle of the circle and the water is pumped
in at that point. I'm not sure,
but I think maybe the water flow drives the wheels through some kind
of turbine and gearbox. I always
wondered about that part.

On May 30, 10:36*am, "C-FFKQ (42)" wrote:
On Tuesday, May 29, 2012 4:33:09 PM UTC-4, Frank Whiteley wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeOKjjaMCP0

Dumb question for today:
At around 2 minutes, there are rectangular fields with green circles... why are the crops planted in circles instead of using the full field?

-John (who's only ever seen crops filling the field area)

US farmers were impressed by the UK "UFO Crop Circles" and, being
inventive types, figured out a way to make circles automatically thus
leaving them with time to go to tractor races.

Seriously, it's an irrigation system with a well at the center and a
rotating sprinkler pipe up to half a mile long. An irrigated circle
produces more crop than a square relying on rainfall. It's probably a
transient phenomena given the rate at which aquifers are being
depleted.

US farmers were impressed by the UK "UFO Crop Circles" and, being
inventive types, figured out a way to make circles automatically thus
leaving them with time to go to tractor races.

Seriously, it's an irrigation system with a well at the center and a
rotating sprinkler pipe up to half a mile long. An irrigated circle
produces more crop than a square relying on rainfall. It's probably a
transient phenomena given the rate at which aquifers are being
depleted.

Dalhart, TX area corn farmers were turning off the outside sprinklers last summer in an attempt to save the inside of the circle. Even the irrigation couldn't keep up with the dry heat.

Low Aquifers are definitely a problem for farmers, espeically when those states upstream (cough cough wink wink) take all the water!

On Wednesday, May 30, 2012 11:20:37 AM UTC-6, Tony wrote:
US farmers were impressed by the UK "UFO Crop Circles" and, being
inventive types, figured out a way to make circles automatically thus
leaving them with time to go to tractor races.

Seriously, it's an irrigation system with a well at the center and a
rotating sprinkler pipe up to half a mile long. An irrigated circle
produces more crop than a square relying on rainfall. It's probably a
transient phenomena given the rate at which aquifers are being
depleted.

Dalhart, TX area corn farmers were turning off the outside sprinklers last summer in an attempt to save the inside of the circle. Even the irrigation couldn't keep up with the dry heat.

Low Aquifers are definitely a problem for farmers, espeically when those states upstream (cough cough wink wink) take all the water!

Actually, here in Colorado, the farmers have had to turn off their irrigation wells in the South Platte River basin owing to senior water rights down stream. The result is that farm houses in the basin now have flooded basements and fields too soggy to work in some cases.

On Wednesday, May 30, 2012 10:47:20 AM UTC-6, soartech wrote:
On May 30, 12:36*pm, "C-FFKQ (42)" wrote:
On Tuesday, May 29, 2012 4:33:09 PM UTC-4, Frank Whiteley wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeOKjjaMCP0

Dumb question for today:
At around 2 minutes, there are rectangular fields with green circles... why are the crops planted in circles instead of using the full field?

-John (who's only ever seen crops filling the field area)

In the more arid areas of the US, long sprinkler pipes on wheels very
slowly roll around the field in a huge circle.
They are anchored at the middle of the circle and the water is pumped
in at that point. I'm not sure,
but I think maybe the water flow drives the wheels through some kind
of turbine and gearbox. I always
wondered about that part.

The wheels are electric and start and stop often to keep it aligned. I was talking with a share cropping farmer recently and he said the electric bill for his center pivot system from REA last year was $6600.

Seemed to me that the current draw from frequent starting was likely half of that cost. I'm told more effective systems are being developed.

Not all systems are on wells as some use river water shares. Last year a share meant you could pump all the water you wanted. This year may be different. For several years farmers only got 35-50% of their share. I always wondered why they irrigated when it was raining, but if that was your day, you took it.

A late dairy farmer, pilot, friend used river shares. He pumped using Ford 427cid engines. He got pretty good at rebuilding them. At times they'd run 24/7 for long periods.

On Wednesday, May 30, 2012 1:39:47 PM UTC-5, Frank Whiteley wrote:
On Wednesday, May 30, 2012 11:20:37 AM UTC-6, Tony wrote:
US farmers were impressed by the UK "UFO Crop Circles" and, being
inventive types, figured out a way to make circles automatically thus
leaving them with time to go to tractor races.

Seriously, it's an irrigation system with a well at the center and a
rotating sprinkler pipe up to half a mile long. An irrigated circle
produces more crop than a square relying on rainfall. It's probably a
transient phenomena given the rate at which aquifers are being
depleted.

Dalhart, TX area corn farmers were turning off the outside sprinklers last summer in an attempt to save the inside of the circle. Even the irrigation couldn't keep up with the dry heat.

Low Aquifers are definitely a problem for farmers, espeically when those states upstream (cough cough wink wink) take all the water!

Actually, here in Colorado, the farmers have had to turn off their irrigation wells in the South Platte River basin owing to senior water rights down stream. The result is that farm houses in the basin now have flooded basements and fields too soggy to work in some cases.

we refer to that as the Splat River. Very few flights north make it past the Splat River Valley.