bullman315
Member
Hello all, just wondering if anyone knew about how much it would cost to set up a 100 acre center pivot irrigation system. Does it cost alot to run them.
Center Pivot Irrigation
- Thread starter bullman315
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NorCalFarms
Well-known member
A new 7 span pivot with end gun is going to run around $40-70,000 depending on the options. Then you need a pump and buried pipe from the pump to the pivot. That can easily run another $10-15,000. A seven span will irrigate about a 130 acres, so you might be able to get a little shorter pivot depending on the shape of your field.
For maintenance I figure $300 a year per span and almost $500 a span for depreciation. This is all done by the acre but that is about what it comes out to for the pivot. Corner systems add horribly to all the above costs.
I only have low pressure systems which are the cheapest to run. All electric pumps, our power is a small co-op which has reasonable rates. On a place where I pump from a well with a 400 foot lift the pumping ran about $175 per acre last year. On a place where I pump surface water (0 lift) the pumping only ran $62 per acre. Both places got about the same amount of water, around 3 feet/acre. I would like to have applied more, but it gets expensive. Sometimes you also just cannot keep enough water on running them constantly. Deep wells are more expensive so that is a big factor.
Doing costs for this year so I have all the numbers here. I think everything will be around 5-10% higher this year.
For maintenance I figure $300 a year per span and almost $500 a span for depreciation. This is all done by the acre but that is about what it comes out to for the pivot. Corner systems add horribly to all the above costs.
I only have low pressure systems which are the cheapest to run. All electric pumps, our power is a small co-op which has reasonable rates. On a place where I pump from a well with a 400 foot lift the pumping ran about $175 per acre last year. On a place where I pump surface water (0 lift) the pumping only ran $62 per acre. Both places got about the same amount of water, around 3 feet/acre. I would like to have applied more, but it gets expensive. Sometimes you also just cannot keep enough water on running them constantly. Deep wells are more expensive so that is a big factor.
Doing costs for this year so I have all the numbers here. I think everything will be around 5-10% higher this year.
I am always admiring the center pivot irrigation rigs around here. I knew they were expensive, but never knew exactly how much they were. Here, I see them in soybean and cotton fields. How much higher is the yield was with the system, and would the increase be enough to pay for the rig?
For the system to cost those kind of dollars with equipment and upkeep, tell me how it pays for itself. This is one of those questions I always wanted to ask but was afraid to hear the truth.
I have also looked at the reel irrigation systems and wondered if it would pay for itself in a hayfield. The ones around here are used at hog barns and pump the sludge out over the fields. One man said he irrigated a bermuda hay field. Seems the grass would carry the smell of hog manure and the cows wouldn't eat it.
Chuckie
For the system to cost those kind of dollars with equipment and upkeep, tell me how it pays for itself. This is one of those questions I always wanted to ask but was afraid to hear the truth.
I have also looked at the reel irrigation systems and wondered if it would pay for itself in a hayfield. The ones around here are used at hog barns and pump the sludge out over the fields. One man said he irrigated a bermuda hay field. Seems the grass would carry the smell of hog manure and the cows wouldn't eat it.
Chuckie
NorCalFarms
Well-known member
Pivots will pay for themselves here on decent soil. You sure can't afford to grow pasture under them. I have at times, but stick to alfalfa for hay. Premium alfalfa here will fetch $120-140 ton. With a pivot I can grow around six tons a year. Without a pivot, I can't even grow it. We get such a low rainfall (10") a year that if you want to grow almost anything you need to irrigate. For hay ground, it takes around a third of the gross just to pay for the watering. At the end of the year it still makes me money.
I know there are people doing it on the plains, but I would hate to have to put in a pivot just to run cows under. If you get enough rain that you could pasture them some anyway, I think the money spent on irrigation would be better spent just leasing or buying more pasture.
I know there are people doing it on the plains, but I would hate to have to put in a pivot just to run cows under. If you get enough rain that you could pasture them some anyway, I think the money spent on irrigation would be better spent just leasing or buying more pasture.
