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Crop growth formation query over Utah / Colorado..
I've just flown from Las Vegas to Philadelphia this morning and I'm hoping
someone in here could offer some advice.. About 60 minutes into the flight, I'd guess we'd have been over Utah or Colorado, the passenger next to me remarked on the crops she could see - basically they all appeared in circular formations, I can't really explain it but check out http://www.mybad.co.uk as I've put a very simple GIF file there to demonstrate what we were seeing, it's only a few kb but I didn't want to attach a binary in here.. Basically the crops are being grown in perfectly circular formations within a square field (we call them fields here in the UK - not sure if they're referred to the same in the USA - basically the growth area that's fenced / hedged off from the next area) - these patterns are repeated quite a few times... She explained that she's travelled over here about ten times over the past five years but no-one has ever known how they grow so perfectly round since they're so large (we were quite a distance up and they appeared to be almost the size of quarters).. What are they likely to be growing and why / how do they grow the crops this way?? Thanks in advance for any advice as this has been puzzling her for the past five years and I said I'd have a go at finding out!! Regards, Aido |
Crop growth formation query over Utah / Colorado..
Aido aido_at_mybad_dot_co_dot_uk wrote in message ... I've just flown from Las Vegas to Philadelphia this morning and I'm hoping someone in here could offer some advice.. About 60 minutes into the flight, I'd guess we'd have been over Utah or Colorado, the passenger next to me remarked on the crops she could see - basically they all appeared in circular formations irrigation based a one centre point? -- Jim Webster "The pasture of stupidity is unwholesome to mankind" 'Abd-ar-Rahman b. Muhammad b. Khaldun al-Hadrami' |
Crop growth formation query over Utah / Colorado..
On Thu, 28 Nov 2002 07:12:02 -0000, "Jim Webster"
wrote: irrigation based a one centre point? Thanks Jim, that's what I'd thought but she'd remarked that was that possible at the size of these crops.. Anyway, I've been going through various satellite photography etc and multiple documents on Google and finally found an explanation: http://llk.media.mit.edu/projects/circles/flying.html In brief: "As for the circles in the Midwest, the story is quite simple. The irrigation equipment tells the story. There is a long horizontal pipe with one end on wheels and the other end on a rotating joint. As the pipe pivots, water drips out of the pipe. The result is a circle, with the rotating joint at the center." Problem solved thank-you! Cheers, Aido |
Crop growth formation query over Utah / Colorado..
On Thu, 28 Nov 2002 08:25:06 -0600, Dean Hoffman
wrote: It's because of center pivot irrigation systems. The irrigation system rotates around a fixed point. The water and power supply for the system attaches at that point. There are thousands of these sprinklers in farming areas. The circles you're seeing are probably 1/2 to 1 mile across. Most irrigation systems are set up to irrigate a quarter section. That size would make a 1/2 mile circle. Crops ore planted in a straight line just as in conventional farming. The perfect circle effect you see is just the watered area. The crops aren't usually planted that way. Irrigation is pretty common in states generally west of a line running from the west border of Minnesota south to the Gulf of Mexico. The farther west one is the drier the climate. The Front (eastern) Slope of the Rocky Mountains is dry because the mountains block the rainfall. Eastern Nebraska gets about 26" of precipitation a year. That's enough to raise crops if the rains come at the right time. Crops usually stay green all summer even if they don't produce much. You probably wouldn't notice the irrigation systems from the air but they're here. Nebraska had about 6.9 million acres of irrigated cropland in 1997. Just under 63% of that was irrigated with pivots. There's more pivot irrigation now as farmers quit using less efficient methods. Thanks for the reply Dean, that explains everything she asked me! Cheers, Aido |
Crop growth formation query over Utah / Colorado..
does anyone in this group have specific idea on how big or what size motor
to use and the type of heads used in pivot irrigation? Thanks, Pedro "Aido" aido_at_mybad_dot_co_dot_uk wrote in message ... On Thu, 28 Nov 2002 08:25:06 -0600, Dean Hoffman wrote: It's because of center pivot irrigation systems. The irrigation system rotates around a fixed point. The water and power supply for the system attaches at that point. There are thousands of these sprinklers in farming areas. The circles you're seeing are probably 1/2 to 1 mile across. Most irrigation systems are set up to irrigate a quarter section. That size would make a 1/2 mile circle. Crops ore planted in a straight line just as in conventional farming. The perfect circle effect you see is just the watered area. The crops aren't usually planted that way. Irrigation is pretty common in states generally west of a line running from the west border of Minnesota south to the Gulf of Mexico. The farther west one is the drier the climate. The Front (eastern) Slope of the Rocky Mountains is dry because the mountains block the rainfall. Eastern Nebraska gets about 26" of precipitation a year. That's enough to raise crops if the rains come at the right time. Crops usually stay green all summer even if they don't produce much. You probably wouldn't notice the irrigation systems from the air but they're here. Nebraska had about 6.9 million acres of irrigated cropland in 1997. Just under 63% of that was irrigated with pivots. There's more pivot irrigation now as farmers quit using less efficient methods. Thanks for the reply Dean, that explains everything she asked me! Cheers, Aido |
Crop growth formation query over Utah / Colorado..
On 12/3/02 1:23 PM, in article , "Pedro
Ndombe" wrote: does anyone in this group have specific idea on how big or what size motor to use and the type of heads used in pivot irrigation? Thanks, Pedro A 60 or 75 horsepower electric well motor would be a common size here in eastern Nebraska. The well motor size depends on the operating pressure needed for the pivot and the static water level of the well. Typical operating pressure nowadays is about 35 psi. Older pivots used to run about 75 psi. Add about 6 horsepower for the drive motors and endgun booster pump motor on a standard (1/4 mile) system. The local well driller is the best source of information for motor sizing. I took a quick look on a couple manufacturer's websites for pictures of sprinkler heads. They had mostly sales propaganda and not much useful information. There are a few pictures he http://jefferson.unl.edu/water/learn...%20methods.htm The major brands of pivots are Valley, Zimmatic, and Reinke, (Electrogator). All three companies have websites. You might be able to request sprinkler package information directly from them. All three of the companies sell their systems through dealer networks. There are getting to be many used pivots for sale also. You could find them through farm sales circulars or through local pivot dealers. Valley's website: http://www.valmont.com Zimmatic's website: http://www.zimmatic.com Reinke's website: http://www.reinke.com Dean -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =----- |
Crop growth formation query over Utah / Colorado..
Gordon Couger writes
If the well was 300 feet deep and was 300 gallons a minute and the friction loss was 30 feet of head you would have to provide power to lift 300 gallons a minute 370 feet 300 feet out of the ground 50 feet to overcome friction and 20 feet for the pivot. I leave it to the next guy to calculate the power to live 300gpm 370 feet. It's late and some one else can find the table or do the math. Oooh, an exam question! 370' equivalent lift = 120 m 300gpm = 50 gps = 250 l/s = 250 kg/s energy/per sec = power (w) 250 x 120 x 9.8 = 300,000 W = 300 kW say 400 HP. feels about right .... -- Oz This post is worth absolutely nothing and is probably fallacious. Note: soon (maybe already) only posts via despammed.com will be accepted. |
Crop growth formation query over Utah / Colorado..
On 12/4/02 3:55 AM, in article , "Oz"
wrote: Gordon Couger writes If the well was 300 feet deep and was 300 gallons a minute and the friction loss was 30 feet of head you would have to provide power to lift 300 gallons a minute 370 feet 300 feet out of the ground 50 feet to overcome friction and 20 feet for the pivot. I leave it to the next guy to calculate the power to live 300gpm 370 feet. It's late and some one else can find the table or do the math. Oooh, an exam question! 370' equivalent lift = 120 m 300gpm = 50 gps = 250 l/s = 250 kg/s energy/per sec = power (w) 250 x 120 x 9.8 = 300,000 W = 300 kW say 400 HP. feels about right .... I don't have the math to disagree but that HP seems high, especially for only 300 gpm. Typical set up in my area is 750 gpm., 30 psi at the top of the pivot point, a static water level of say 150 feet. Add 15 feet of elevation to get to the top of the pivot point. Most electric well motors here are 60 or 75 horsepower. Dean -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =----- |
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