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Center-pivot irrigation, also called water-wheel and circle irrigation, is a method of crop irrigation in which equipment rotates around a pivot and crops are watered with sprinklers. A circular area centered on the pivot is irrigated, often creating a circular pattern in crops when viewed from above.
Center pivot irrigation is a form of overhead sprinkler irrigation consisting of several segments of pipe (usually galvanized steel or aluminum) with sprinklers positioned along their length, joined together and supported by trusses, and mounted on wheeled towers. The machine moves in a circular pattern and is fed with water from the pivot point at the center of the circle.
For a center pivot to be used, the terrain needs to be reasonably flat; but one major advantage of center pivots over alternative systems that use gravity flow is the ability to function in undulating country. This advantage has resulted in increased irrigated acreage and water use in some areas
The center pivot was developed in 1878 but the design was perfected in 1949 by Mr Zybach from Strasburg, Colorado and he patented in July 1952. South Africa got its first center pivot in 1969 at Soetevelde near Vereeniging.
Nowadays center pivots are mechanised and much more sophisticated and very successful due to high levels of automation
n Spilpunt, om dit eenvoudig te stel, is ‘n pyp wat water na die gewasse bring terwyl dit in ‘n sirkel om ‘n vaste punt beweeg. Hierdie konsep is alreeds in 1878 deur ‘n ingenieur gepatenteer, maar spilpuntbesproeiing soos ons dit vandag ken, is in 1949 ontwikkel deur ‘n produsent, ‘n sekere mnr Zybach van Strasburg, Colorado, in die VSA en op 22 Julie 1952 is die patent aan hom toegeken.
Die res is geskiedenis. In Suid-Afrika is die eerste spilpunt eers in 1969 by Soetevelde naby Vereeniging geïnstalleer.
Sedert hierdie vroeë jare het spilpunte van sy aanvanklike probleme met die struktuur, aandrywing en betroubaarheid van oplyn-toerusting, ontwikkel tot die huidige gesofistikeerde spilpunte wat ons vandag ken.
Hedendaagse spilpunte is as gemeganiseerde stelsels baie suksesvol as gevolg van hul hoë graad van outomatisasie, lae arbeidsbehoefte en hoë uniformiteit van toediening. Die vraag is natuurlik: “Wat is die optimale grootte van ‘n spilpunt?”
Behalwe vir die besluit oor optimale grootte van ‘n spilpunt, is dit natuurlik eerstens belangrik om met die aankoop seker te maak dat dit wel die voordeligste besproeiingstelsel vir die spesifieke omstandighede is.
Hierna kan spesifikasies opgestel word binne ‘n raamwerk van die beskikbaarheid van water, die aanpasbaarheid by die grond, die gewasse wat besproei moet word, die klimaatsvereistes, die topografie, energiebehoeftes en bestuursvermoëns.
Hierdie is natuurlik alles faktore wat die optimale grootte van ‘n spilpunt bepaal.