Chapter 9 NEBRASKA AMENDMENT

Irrigation Water Management

Part 652 Irrigation Guide

686.3 MANAGEMENT OF A CENTER PIVOT SPRINKLER 686.31 Field Evaluation of a Center Pivot Sprinkler
A center pivot evaluation should determine the following: 1. What is the average gross rate of application; in/day 2. What is average net rate of application; in/day 3. What is the maximum rate of application; in/hr 4. Does the maximum rate of application cause runoff 5. Will the average net rate of application satisfy the crop needs 6. How uniform the application is The following information is required for evaluating center pivot irrigation systems: 1. Rate of flow from the total system 2. Rate of flow required to propel the system if water driven 3. Depth of water caught in a radial row of catch containers 4. Travel speed of end drive unit 5. Lateral length to end drive unit and radius of the portion of the field-irrigated by the center pivot 6. Width of the wetted strip at end drive unit 7. Operating pressure and diameter of largest sprinkler nozzles at the end of the lateral 8. Approximate differences in elevation between the pivot and the high and/or low points in the field and along the lateral at the test position radius (taken to within plus or minus 5 ft).

9. Additional data indicated on Figure 686-16 Accurate measurement of the flow rate into the system is needed. Equipment needed. The equipment needed is essentially the same as for the full evaluation of sprinkler-lateral systems. 1. A pressure gauge (0-100 psi) with pivot tube attachment for use on impact nozzles 2. .A stopwatch or watch with an easily visible second hand 3. From 60 to 100 (depending on the lateral length) catch containers such as 1-quart oil cans or plastic freezer cartons 4. A 250-ml graduated cylinder to measure volume of water caught in the containers 5. A tape for measuring distances in laying out the container row and estimating the machine's speed 6. A soil probe or auger 7. A hand level and level rod to check differences in elevation 8. A shovel for smoothing areas to set catch containers and for checking profiles of soil, root, and water penetration 9. NE-ENG-60 for recording data 10. Manufacturer's nozzle specifications giving discharge and pressure 11. For water-driven machines which do not incorporate the drive water into the sprinkler patterns, a 2- to 5gallon bucket and short section of flexible hose to facilitate measuring the drive water discharge.

(210-VI-NEG-IG, NE, April 1983)

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Chapter 9 NEBRASKA AMENDMENT

Farm Distribution Components

Part 652 Irrigation Guide

Field procedure Fill in the data blanks of Form NE-ENG-60 while conducting the field procedure. In a field having a low-growing crop or no crop, test the system when the lateral is in a position where differences in elevations are least. In tall-growing crops, such as corn, test the system where the lateral crosses the access road to the pivot point. 1. Set out the catch containers along a radial path beginning at the pivot with a convenient spacing no wider than 30 ft; a 10- or 20-foot spacing is preferable. The radial path should be a straight line, and the containers are set in front of the advancing sprinkler sprays. Obviously, containers should not be placed in wheel tracks or where they would pick up waste exhaust water from water-driven systems (where the exhaust is not distributed). Where exhaust water is incorporated into the wetting pattern, lay out containers so they will catch representative samples of the drive water. To save time, it is most convenient to leave out the first few containers adjacent to the pivot since the watering cycle is so long in this area. Typically, the containers under the first one or two spans are omitted with little adverse effect on the evaluation. A number should be assigned to each container position with a sequential numbering system beginning with 1 at the container position nearest the pivot point. Even the locations not having containers under the first spans should be numbered. 2. Fill in the blanks dealing with climatic conditions, machine and test specifications, topography, general system, soil moisture, and crop performance. Determine the irrigated area, in acres, by first estimating the wetted radius of the irrigated circle. 3. Determine the length of time required for the system to make a revolution by dividing the circumference of the outer wheel track by the speed of the end drive unit. NE9-256

a.

Stake out a known length along the outer wheel track and determine the time required for a point on the drive unit to travel between the stakes. The speed of travel will be the distance divided by the number of minutes. An alternate method is to determine the distance traveled in a given time. Since most machines have uniform span lengths except for perhaps the first span, the radius between the pivot and the outer wheel track can normally be determined by multiplying the span length by the number of spans.

b.

4. Estimate the width of the wetted pattern (perpendicular to the lateral) and the duration of time water is received by the containers near the end drive unit. The watering time is approximately equal to the pattern width divided by the speed of the end drive unit. 5. On water-driven systems, number each drive unit (span) beginning with the one next to the pivot. Time how long it takes to fill a container of known volume with the discharge from the water motor in the outer drive unit and record. The exact method for doing this depends on the water motor construction, and it may require using a short length of hose. 6. If the system is equipped with a flow meter, measure and record the rate of flow into the system. Most standard flow meters indicate only the total volume of water that has passed. To determine the flow rate, read the meter at the beginning and end of a 10-min period and calculate the rate per minute. To convert from cubic feet per second (or acre-inches per hour) to gpm, multiply by 450.

(210-VI-NEG-IG, NE, April 1983)

Chapter 9 NEBRASKA AMENDMENT

Irrigation Water Management

Part 652 Irrigation Guide

7. Measure and record the depth of water in all the containers as soon as possible and observe whether they are still upright; note abnormally low or high catches. The best accuracy can be achieved by using a graduated cylinder to obtain volumetric measurements. These can be converted to depths if the area of the container opening is known. For 1-quart oil cans, 200 ml corresponds to a depth of 1.0 in. If 1-quart oil cans are used, the net weight of the water can be weighed and converted to inches. 200 gm of water = 1.0 in of depth. Utilization of center pivot field test data. Given: The field data presented in Figure 68616. Find: Use the field data to evaluate the system Calculation: The volumes caught in the containers must be weighted, since the catch points represent progressively larger areas as the distance from the pivot increases. To weight the catches according to their distance from the pivot, each catch value must be multiplied by a factor related to the distance from the pivot. This weighting operation is simplified by using the container layout procedure described earlier. The average weighted system catch is found by dividing the sum of the weighted catches by the sum of the catch positions numbers where containers were placed. The Natural Resources Conservation Service has elected to use the average weighted catch of the lower k catches as the average minimum weighted catch. The average minimum weighted catch is used for two reasons:

1. To determine the minimum depth of water applied under the pivot in one irrigation 2. To determine the uniformity of the application under the pivot a. The uniformity of depth of application is determined by the formula

Du = average weighted low quarter catch x 100 average weighted system catch

A percentage of 70% or higher is considered acceptable uniformity. The minimum depth of water applied should be compared with the needed maximum consumptive use of the crop that is being raised. The items in the example are determined in the following ways: 1. From the land user 2. Soil map or soil scientist 3. Field , measured 4. Land user 5. What will happen during the evaluation 6. Determine prior to test 7. Observation when evaluation is done 8. Measured when the evaluation is being completed 9. Measure pressure and determine the rest from Table 684-7 10 Same as above 11. Distance to last sprinkler + of the wetted radius of the last sprinkler 12. Measured 13. Calculate 14. Calculate

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Chapter 9 NEBRASKA AMENDMENT

Farm Distribution Components

Part 652 Irrigation Guide

15. Calculate 16 Calculate 17 Calculate 18 Calculate from the back of form 19. Calculate from the back of form 20. From the back side The weighted catch is determined by multiplying every catch by the position number and adding them all together. The lower quarter catch is determined by selecting the lower / of the catches and repeating the process.

It is useful to plot the volume of catch against distance from the pivot Figure 686-17. Such a plot is useful for spotting problem areas and locating improperly nozzled or malfunctioning sprinklers. Usually there is excess water near each water-driven drive unit where the water is distributed as part of the pattern. If the system is operating on an undulating or sloping field and is not equipped with pressure or flow regulators, DU will vary with the lateral position.

NE9-258

(210-VI-NEG-IG, NE, April 1983)