Is new irrigation tech worth a look?

We hear it all the time. Flat tires in the middle of the field during the growing season. Gearboxes failing. End guns that won’t shut off when they are supposed to.

These are the complaints irrigators have. If they are managing scores of pivots or systems, these issues become big problems during the irrigation season.

That’s why the center-pivot manufacturers have focused so much time on platforms that can offer real-time remote diagnostics. They are continuing to develop sprinkler systems that can alert farmers when and where there is a fault issue, such as tower misalignment, and what is causing it.

They can alert producers about pressure issues at the end of the pivot, or other water-flow problems that are occurring in real time.

The center pivot was one of the first autonomous vehicles working in the field. So, the same pivot companies continue to research ways to use that vehicle, while it is already working in the field, to do other things such as diagnose crop pests or diseases.

Plenty of innovations

Twenty years ago, that kind of thing would have been thought impossible. But today, thanks to new sensors, cameras and capabilities, it is both possible and forthcoming.

At this year’s Husker Harvest Ag Tech Pavilion, numerous new ag tech startup companies showed off their stuff — their concepts, ideas, inventions and innovations — to farmers attending the show. The exchange and networking opportunities were provided by HHD and a partnership with The Combine,

Nebraska’s ag tech and food innovation incubator allowed farmers to gain new insights into what is next with crops, livestock and irrigation management. Those inventors and innovators also gained knowledge about what farmers and ranchers need.

That exchange of ideas is important, because many farmers today are beta testers and first adopters. That said, most producers are willing to wait it out, for the kinks to be adjusted in new platforms and inventions, before they try to integrate new technology into their operations.

They are more worried about the mundane things, such as end guns and pivot gearboxes, because these are what their concerns are today.

No matter which end of that spectrum you are on, it is important to stay up on new tech, because most assuredly, what is considered new technology today will be something we take for granted down the road.

Now, if only an innovator could come up with a pivot that fixes its own tires. That would be something everyone would be onboard with.