Water Application | UP3

For many growers, it is necessary to change their sprinkler package flow rate during the irrigation season. In areas like the Texas Panhandle, declining water tables throughout the irrigation season reduces the pivot operating pressure. Lowering the machine flow rate will typically increase the machine pressure, maintaining the proper operating pressure for the sprinklers. Fields with heavy soils can benefit by using lower machine flow rates early in the season to reduce sprinkler package application intensity. As the crop canopy develops and crop water requirements increase later in the season, the sprinkler nozzles can be changed to increase the machine flow rate.

Center pivot irrigation sprinklers use nozzles (fixed orifices) to precisely set the water flow rate at each sprinkler location along the length of a center pivot. As the sprinkler locations move farther away from the center point, the water flow rate increases due to the larger area covered by positions farther from the center point. For example, the last sprinkler on a 1,300’ center pivot covers an area that is over 28 times larger than a sprinkler at 50’ from the center point.

Sprinkler manufacturers offer 45 different nozzle sizes to meet the flow rate requirements on center pivot machines. The nozzle diameter range begins with the smallest at 0.0625” (8/128”) and increments in 0.0078” (1/128”) up to the largest at 0.4063” (52/128”). When describing the nozzle orifice diameter it is common to use the nozzle numerator. For Valley and Nelson® sprinkler brands, a #15 nozzle refers to a 15/128” nozzle orifice diameter. Senninger sprinklers use 64ths to describe their nozzle orifice diameters. A #7 nozzle is equivalent to 7/64”. The Senninger® brand also uses “half sizes” to describe the full range of nozzles. A #7.5 refers to a 7.5/64” (15/128”) orifice diameter. Sprinkler manufacturers also use various colors and shapes to make nozzle identification easy and quick for sprinkler package assembly and field modifications.

Earlier this year, Senninger Irrigation released a new sprinkler product line, UP3 (Universal Pivot Products Platform). A feature of this sprinkler series is an easy clean, easy change nozzle design.

To remove the nozzle you pinch and pull.


Place and press until you hear a click to reinstall the nozzle.


The nozzle is installed from the side of the sprinkler, eliminating sprinkler disassembly.

Dual Nozzle Holder

Nelson Irrigation offers a dual and triple nozzle holder for their 3000 series pivot sprinklers. The dual nozzle holder holds two nozzles, one nozzle within the sprinkler and one nozzle held outside of the sprinkler. To change the nozzle, the sprinkler is disassembled and the nozzle holder is switched around changing the sprinkler to a different flow rate.

Triple Nozzle Holder

The triple nozzle holder can have 3 different nozzle sizes. One nozzle is in the sprinkler while two nozzles are held outside of the sprinkler.


For more information on the UP3 product line, or other water application packages offered by Valley Irrigation, please contact the Valley Water Application Group: jgerdes@valmont.com.