Center pivot or subsurface drip?
Farmers are professional decision makers. In every aspect of their work they are faced with choices and options to consider, even when it comes to irrigation systems.
Subsurface drip irrigation or SDI, a low-pressure, high efficiency irrigation system that uses buried drip tubes or drip tape to meet crop water needs is one option. SDI technologies have been a part of irrigated agriculture since the 1960s; with the technology advancing rapidly in the last two decades.
But how does an SDI system stack up to the more popular center pivots that roll over many of the irrigated acres in the Midwest?
“SDI systems are generally thought to be at least as efficient in terms of irrigation water use as center pivot irrigation systems, primarily because they avoid the evaporative losses that occur from exposing irrigation water on the soil surface and in the open above ground environment,” said K-State Extension Specialist, Daniel O'Brien. “At K-State we have used conservative estimates of 10-20% water savings efficiency with SDI compared to center pivot irrigation. In field situations were irrigation water availability is not limited, these efficiency gains may not be that important. But where irrigation water supplies are more limited, 10-20% efficiency gains in irrigation water use could be extremely important and beneficial to an agricultural producer.”
It’s the system’s efficiency that attracted producers Jim and Jeff Reinert, a father/son farming duo from Ensign, KS. Their farm includes two separate SDI systems both 60 acres each, one with 30 inch tape the other with 60 inch.
“The thing you ultimately look for is the value of water,” Jim said. “As water becomes more and more important to us, it’s something we need to do a better job of conserving. We also want to be more efficient with our water allocations in relation to our acres. If we can maximize the productivity with a drip tape system to better use our water—that adds a value that is extremely important. Everything we can do to conserve water can only work in our benefit. I’ve been irrigating for the better part of 50 years and I hope my son has that same capability.
