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Centre pivot irrigation is a form of overhead sprinkler irrigation consisting of several segments of pipe (usually galvanized steel or aluminium) joined together and supported by trusses, mounted on wheeled towers with sprinklers positioned along its length.
The machine moves in a circular pattern and is fed with water from the pivot point at the centre of the circle. The outside set of wheels sets the master pace for the rotation (typically once every three days). The inner sets of wheels are mounted at hubs between two segments and use angle sensors to detect when the bend at the joint exceeds a certain threshold, and thus, the wheels should be rotated to keep the segments aligned.
Centre pivots are typically less than 1600 feet (500 meters) in length (circle radius) with the most common size being the standard ¼ mile (400 m) machine. To achieve uniform application, centre pivots require an even emitter flow rate across the radius of the machine. Since the outer-most spans (or towers) travel farther in a given time period than the innermost spans, nozzle sizes are smallest at the inner spans and increase with distance from the pivot point.
Originally, most centre pivots were water-powered. These were replaced by hydraulic systems and electric motor-driven systems. Most systems today are driven by an electric motor mounted at each tower.
For a centre pivot to be used the terrain needs to be reasonably flat; but one major advantage of centre pivots over alternative systems is the ability to function in undulating country. The system is in usein parts of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and also in desert areas such as the Sahara and the Middle East.
Centre pivot irrigation typically uses less water compared to many surface irrigation and furrow irrigation techniques.
Centre-pivot irrigation can reduce the amount of soil tillage that occurs and helps to reduce water runoff and soil erosion that can occur with ground irrigation.Less tillage encourages more organic materials and crop residue to decompose back into the soil, and reduces soil compaction.
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Irrigation
Sources of Irrigation
Application of Irrigation water
Canal Irrigation +
Flood Irrigation +
Deficit Irrigation +
Supplemental Irrigation +
Sprinkler Irrigation +
Drip Irrigation +
Lift Irrigation +
Centre Pivot Irrigation +
Tidal Irrigation +
Micro-Irrigation Technologies for Small Holders +
Automatic Irrigation Systems +
Pressurized Irrigation +
Irrigation in Viticulture +
Purpose of Irrigation
Instruments and implements of Irrigation
Irrigation Management
Irrigation and environment
Capacity Development
Drainage
- Pivot-point layout
- Pivot point
- Pivot-point line
- Constant radius arch dam, Constant centre arch dam, or Constant centre dam
- Variable radius arch dam, or Variable centre dam
- Arch centre line
- Line of arch centres
- Hydraulic gradient pivot point
- Centre marks
- Depression, Depression head, or Depression centre
- Irrigation pipe aqueduct, Pipe aqueduct, Pipe flume
- Syphon, Inverted siphon, Irrigation syphon, Canal syphon, Syphon superpassage
- Lift irrigation area, or Lift area
- Continuous-flow irrigation
- Night-storage irrigation system
- Intermittent-flow irrigation system
- Irrigation return flow
- Farm irrigation structures
- Collective irrigation system
- Individual irrigation system
- Perennial irrigation
- Seasonal irrigation
- Supplemental irrigation
- Systematic irrigation
- Flow irrigation, or Gravity irrigation
- Pumping irrigation
- Inundation irrigation
- Irrigation from a storage reservoir
- Irrigation from groundwater
- Irrigation by flood water spreading
- Sailab irrigation (a term used in India and Pakistan)
- Micro basin irrigation
- Irrigation by spreading
- Irrigation
- Irrigation interval
- Irrigation dose
- Ideal irrigation interval
- Irrigation season
- Fall irrigation (USA)
- Winter irrigation (USA)
- Early irrigation (USA)
- Sub-irrigation
- Overirrigation
- Irrigation canals
- Surface irrigation
- Flood irrigation
- Basin method of irrigation, or Irrigation by beds
- Flush irrigation
- Spate irrigation
- Border irrigation, or Border method
- Flooding from ditches, or (contour ditch irrigation)
- Corrugation irrigation
- Furrow irrigation
- Surge irrigation
- Duration of irrigation
- Secondary flow, Two discharge, or Cutback irrigation
- Primary flow irrigation (single discharge)
- Wave irrigation
- Irrigation through buried drains, Irrigation-drainage, or Vallenhove process
- Irrigation by nappe control, or Ramspol process
- Selection of irrigation parameters
- Sprinkler irrigation
- Irrigation terminal
- Irrigation device
- Perforated pipe sprinkler irrigation
- Irrigation sprinkler machine
- Centre pivot irrigation
- Lateral-move irrigation machine sprinkler method
- Solid set irrigation
- Piloting of irrigation
- Irrigation cycle
- Range of a pivot, or Frontal nozzle-line
- Effective radius of a pivot
- Pivot or Pilot valve
- Micro-irrigation, Localized irrigation, Drip irrigation, Trickle irrigation
- Mobile micro-irrigation
- Pulse irrigation
- Surface drip irrigation
- Buried drip irrigation
- Drip irrigation functioning by propulsions
- Micro-irrigation network
- Micro-irrigation nozzle-line
- Irrigation dose
- Semi-automatic control (of irrigation)
- Micro-irrigation system with hydraulic sequential operation
- Automatic control (of irrigation)
- Porous wall microirrigation tubing
- Proportional irrigation pump
- Irrigation water
- Irrigation water requirement, Irrigation need
- Net irrigation requirement, Farm delivery requirement, or Delta at farm
- Crop irrigation requirement
- Diversion requirement, Gross irrigation requirement, or Delta at head of main canal
- Optimum irrigation requirements
- Irrigation efficiency, Farm irrigation efficiency, Farm delivery efficiency, Water conveyance and delivery efficiency, or Overall efficiency
- Irrigation water-requirement
- Subirrigation
- Surge irrigation
- Irrigation water use efficiency
- Unit irrigation efficiency
- Economic efficiency of irrigation
- Irrigation efficiency
- Agronomic efficiency of irrigation or Agronomic productivity of irrigation
- Degree of durability of irrigation
- Centres, Centering, or Centring
- Programmed irrigation
- Fully automatic irrigation system
- Irrigation development project or system
- Irrigation
- Surface irrigation
- Basin Irrigation
- Centre pivot sprinkler
- Overhead irrigation
- Sub‑irrigation
- Microirrigation
- Trickle irrigation
- Drip irrigation
- Total irrigation
- Supplemental irrigation
- Preplant irrigation
- Organic irrigation
- Conjunctive irrigation planning
- Irrigation project
- Irrigation potential
- Assessment of irrigation charges
- Irrigation cess
- Water rate, Water charge, Irrigation rate, or Irrigation assessment
- Primary benefits, Primary effects, Direct irrigation benefits, or Direct irrigation effects
- Secondary benefits, Secondary effects, Indirect irrigation benefits, or Indirect irrigation effects
- Economic value of unit of irrigation water
- Revenue value of a unit of irrigation water
