Getting to Know the New Valley Mobile Website | by Kelly Cox

These days, the Valley_® brand is more than ever incorporating technology into its core. Of course, it’s not going to forget its roots in steel and gearboxes, but evolving is part of the game. Part of this evolution resides with how we market the Valley brand.

We’d all have to be living under a box to not notice how much time people spend on their mobile phones. I was walking through a baby store recently, and a woman was pushing a stroller, holding a toddler’s hand, AND updating her Facebook status. I’m still trying to figure out how she was doing all of this with just two hands, but the point is she was on her phone while trying to parent her kids. People are on their phones ALL. THE. TIME. (Even if we don’t necessarily agree with the timing.) So, why shouldn’t brands and companies take advantage of this?

We first launched the Valley mobile website a few years ago when we started to notice people using their phones for more than just calling other people. Since then, online search via mobile phone and tablet has literally skyrocketed, and so we thought it was time to update our mobile site to provide people with what they want, regardless of their computer preference. Thus, we recently launched the new, improved Valley mobile website.

You will find the exact same information and content on the mobile site as you do on the desktop site. Looking for a video? We’ve got videos! Looking for a brochure? We’ve got brochures! Looking for information on why you should buy Valley over the other guys? We’ve got that, too! You can find everything you might need at the tip of your fingers.

Have I intrigued you? I hope so! Before you do anything else, visit the new Valley mobile website from your mobile phone or tablet at www.valleyirrigation.com or m.valleyirrigation.com.

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Kelly Cox Global Digital Marketing Manager Kelly is a native of Omaha, Neb., and has degrees in English and web development. She joined the Valley Irrigation Global Marketing Department in 2008 where she shares her love of web and all things digital marketing with her colleagues and the Valley dealer network. Outside of her life at Valley, Kelly enjoys reading, singing and spending time with her family.

Precision Agriculture Is the Future of Farming | by John Campbell

I recently read an article on Forbes.com that proclaimed “The Future of Agriculture? Smart Farming.” That statement seemed obvious and the article cited some well-known facts; the world’s population is growing, those people are going to eat more and there’s a finite amount of land and water to produce that food.

The article suggested that one way to meet the world’s food needs is through “precision agriculture.” Precision is defined as the degree of refinement with which an operation is performed. Precision is what Valley_® Irrigation was founded on. Valley started an entire industry based on giving farmers the equipment they need to be paradoxically more efficient and more productive. 

Precision irrigation tools can benefit an operation in many ways. For example, center pivots irrigate in circles, but, unfortunately, many fields aren’t round. Adding corner arms to pivots can extend irrigation into the corners of the field, substantially expanding irrigated acres. More acres mean more crops.

Corner machines operate with great precision, relying on GPS Guidance for track-on-track accuracy. Did you know that Valley offers two excellent corner machines to extend your acres? The VFlex™ Corner is designed for growers who want options – with more customizable features than any other corner on the market today. Meanwhile, the Precision Corner^® offers the most sophisticated, high-tech options.

Today’s computerized control panels give growers unprecedented control over their irrigation machines. With advanced control panels, such as the Pro2 and Select2, growers can determine how their pivot irrigates, when it irrigates, how often it irrigates and even where it irrigates.

The latest advances in precision agriculture are coming in the form of remote monitoring and control. The ability to control pivots from a smartphone, table or computer can virtually eliminate trips to the field. This technology not only saves time, fuel and water, it is a game changer in quality of life, allowing growers to spend time with family rather than driving to fields to check on pivots. Valley BaseStation3™ is the most innovative irrigation management solution available. Did you know that you can take the BaseStation3 native iOS (iPhone, iPad) or Android apps for a test drive with the new “Demo” mode? Just download the free BaseStation3 app and click on the Demo button.

Perhaps the ultimate in precision irrigation comes in the form of Variable Rate Irrigation. This technology lets farmers control water application rates in field sectors, or even zones (more than 5,000 zones with Valley VRI Zone Control). VRI provides the ability to apply just the right amount of water exactly where it’s needed.

There’s no question that these kinds of advances are the future of agriculture. Tech-savvy growers are adopting these practices at accelerating rates and see the benefits in their yields and bottom line.

Valley Irrigation is proud to have started the industry and to continue leading the way today. We are The Leader in Precision Irrigation_®. Period. 

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John Campbell Advanced Technology Product Manager John Campbell coordinates all of the Valley remote control and monitoring technology products, including BaseStation3. John lives in north Omaha, where he pursues his many hobbies, including classic cars and running.

Outback Crop Circles | by Alex Mills

On a stretch of highway between Port Hedland to Broome in northern Western Australia, three big green circles stand out against the plains of red dirt, the latest project of my 23-year-strong cattle breeding family company. 

Our first pivot crop.

When we acquired the Kimberly coast property in late 2013, it came with an artesian bore with enough water pressure to supply three 47-hectare (116-acre) pivots without additional pumping.

Being cattlemen and not farmers, we stepped lightly into the world of center pivots and after much research and many discussions with other pivot farmers and experts, decided on the Valley_® brand. In early 2014, three pre-owned Valley pivots arrived at the property ready to be assembled under the supervision of new Pivot Manager Simon Scott. 

The goal of the project was to effectively drought proof the two properties, which hold 30,000 cattle collectively. Two pivots grow sorghum which is cut, baled and silage wrapped approximately every 30 days, while the third is reserved for 'stand and graze,’ where cattle are cell grazed to eat directly off the pivot before sale.

The pivot site is over 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the homestead, so it quickly became clear that we would need remote control and monitoring of the pivots. The age of the pivots meant that we were unable to use the new Valley BaseStation3™. After researching some possible alternatives, the task was handed to me. I quit my job at the end of 2014 to start working on AgConnect.

Head of the new controller.

The existing Valley control panel already contains 99 percent of the electronics required, so I selected a Siemens programmable logic controller, which, combined with a series of relays, enabled me to control the pivot over a Wi-Fi network. I learned to program the controller in two days and had the full pivot program ready by the end of the week. 

A new digital resolver installed in each pivot provides accurate position information to the controller. I installed a fully redundant server in the shed office that connects the three pivots, weather station and soil probes to the AgConnect web app.

AgConnect running on an iPhone.

I built the AgConnect app to constantly monitor the network, pivot state, weather station and soil probes, alerting the user with a notification if a system issue or alert occurs. The latest sensor readings are displayed visually for the user and sent periodically to our Agronomist for accurate fertilizer recipes. Data is sent to and from the pivot in real time so the user always knows exactly what is happening and can make machine changes right from the app.

For safety and security reasons, all 'safety-override' movements must be made on-site using the Valley control panel.

In the future, the user will be able to create schedules and sub-divide the pivots into sections for more detailed control over the irrigation. The next step is to connect the chemigation and solar power systems for complete control and monitoring over the entire site. 

This has been a considerable undertaking for Warrawagine Cattle Co., and I'm proud of what we have been able to achieve so far. It's exciting to be able to help shape the future of the growing pivot irrigation industry here in Australia.

Apple^® and iPhone^® are registered trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

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Alex Mills Software Developer Alex is a guest writer for the Growing the Conversation blog by Valley. He is a self-taught software developer and designer with a passion for electronics and solving technical challenges. Raised on an outback cattle ranch, Alex has always been fascinated by technology in the bush and its future applications in agriculture.

45 Pivots and GPS Technology in France | by Fleur Martin of Irrigazette International

This article was reprinted with permission from the March/April issue of Irrigazette International.

Situated on the boundary of the Landes and Gironde departments, near Sanguinet [in France], Mr. Thierry Nérault’s farm covers an area of 1,460 ha. Mr.  Nérault grows maize under a monoculture system, entirely irrigated by 45 pivots and linear move machines, which are fully automated. 

We traveled to the site with Armel Morlet from the company Valmont_®  Irrigation. The pivot located in the middle is covered in rust: “The water in this part of the Landes has a high iron content, which gives the pivots a rusty colour, particularly when the sprinklers are located above the spans,” he explained. 

The pivot is fitted with two control panels: one old panel, which is no longer operational, and a brand new Valley_® GPS Ready control panel: “Since automating the installation the different makes of old panels have been replaced with Valley control panels,” he said. The position of the machines, in most cases, is pinpointed by a GPS device installed in each machine (pivots and linear move machines). 

We returned to the car and drove on to a second site, to a smaller-sized field. At this location, the field is irrigated by one large single Otech pivot with 13 spans. We could see a Valley GPS Ready control panel and an antenna on the pivot, which sends information about the pivot to the farm, by radio. We returned once again to the car and this time we drove on to a circular 98-hectare field irrigated by a single Valley PolySpan^®  pivot of 10 spans. This pivot has a tank, which itself is supplied by six or seven small pumps. The building located near the tank acts as a control room for managing all the pumps used to fill the tank/reserve, as well as the supply pump. 

This type of installation with a tank can be used with all the large pivots on the farm. As far as the small pivots are concerned, they are directly supplied by the borehole pumps. The choice of the Landes region for growing maize, which requires a lot of water, does not pose any great risk; in fact, there is an abundance of water resources. Below the sandy soils of the Landes region there is a plio-quaternary aquifer, with a high iron content, which allows the farmers to have permanent access to a plentiful supply of water.

45 pivots Linked to the Farm by Radio
We then went to the farmhouse where we were met by the owner’s son, Romain Nérault, as well as his assistant, Eric Gilbert. Originally, this was divided into two farms, the Lucate and Courlouze properties, which explains its present size of 1,460 hectares. 

From left, Romain Nérault, Armel Morlet and Eric Gilbert

Romain Nérault explained: “When my father bought the property three years ago, it was already a maize-only farm, equipped with poorly maintained pivots with the control boxes in a pitiful state.” 

The person responsible for operating the irrigation system would have to arrive at 6 a.m. and he would have to go around the farm and check that the pivots were working properly, one by one. He had to go around the farm three times each day, the last visit being at 8 o’clock in the evening, knowing that he would have to travel 7 kilometres from one end of the farm to the other. The time spent going to and fro was considerable, but essential nonetheless because in the summer the maize simply had to be irrigated. 

“One week without irrigation represented a loss of 10 or 15 quintals of maize," Romain Nérault lamented, “So when we took over the farm, we had the irrigation installation fully automated so that we could visually and constantly check the situation of all the pivots on the screen.”

The installation now has a total of 45 pivots, of which 10 or so are Valley machines, as well as pivots made by Otech and France Pivot. Every time that Mr. Nérault replaces a machine he chooses a Valley pivot with an inner polyethylene lining (PolySpan), to prevent the ferruginous water from corroding the spans (PolySpan is a polyethylene lining that is installed inside the span tubes, protecting them from the corrosive effects of this water with a high iron content). It is also preferable for the pivots to be fitted with sprinklers attached to downpipes to prevent the ferruginous water from wetting the spans, thus protecting them from outer corrosion. 

Of the 45 pivots, six are actually linear move machines. Unlike the pivots, which irrigate in a circular form around a central pivot point, the linear moves irrigate in line, moving up and down the field; these being used on the ire-breaks. The installation also has two hose reels, which allow for the field to be irrigated crosswise. 

The pivot can be set in motion from a standard computer
or a mobile computer system,
and it is possible take action remotely.

Furthermore, 10 or so hectares are irrigated with full cover (sprinkler) systems. This technique allows for the irrigation of the zones that the pivots cannot manage to reach; in fact, with the pivots irrigating in a circle, there are often blind spots, which are not irrigated. Finally, a small “L-shaped” field is irrigated with subsurface drip irrigation. “This is a kind of test”, explained Romain. “In fact, certain complex fields are difficult to irrigate with pivots or linear moves. The aim is also to reduce the amount of water applied per hectare and the consumption of KW/h per hectare.”

Romain Nérault received us in his office with his technical assistant, Eric Gilbert, so that they could tell us about the technique of controlling the pivots by remote control. The whole installation is automated using the Valley GPS Ready technology. This technology allows the user to know the position of the pivots and linear move machines on the farm at any given time. In the office the irrigation operation can be monitored on a large screen with the use of a computer.

Thus it is possible to see the whole installation displayed on the screen. “The pivots are represented by circles or arcs of a circle, and the linear moves are represented by rectangles,” explained Romain Nérault. “When the zone is shaded in grey, this means that the machine is stopped; when the zone is green, this means that the machine is functioning without water and when the pivots are blue, this means that there is water and the pivot is operating correctly. Finally, when the zone is red, this means that there is a problem and we have to step in. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to make a trip to the farm and check the pivots one by one. We only have to take any action when the pivots are broken down.”

When we click on a pivot, the control box appears on the screen, giving the pressure, position in degrees and forward speed of the pivot. The pivot can be set in motion from a standard computer or from a mobile computer system and it is possible to take action remotely.

Thus, automation has allowed this farmer to make significant savings on labor, time and money.

Read the last section of the article, How the Irrigation Season Unfolds.

Visiting Our Growers | by Matt Ondrejko

One of the great things about my job is having the opportunity to spend time with our Valley_® dealers and growers talking about products, business and their general outlook on things. 

In early February, I was fortunate enough to be invited down to southwest Indiana to spend time with Scates Valley Irrigation. The Scates team services growers in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky, and boy does the team do a great job. 

Scates Valley Open House

I spent one day visiting large growers from the Scates territory, all farming 10,000 acres or more. It was awesome to hear firsthand how Valley products have made a difference in their operations for many years and often generations. The area is a hotbed for irrigation, and the growers certainly know the power of getting water efficiently and effectively to the crops. This area tends to be heavy in soybeans and corn and has very sandy soils due to its proximity to the Wabash River.

The really interesting thing for me was the amount of farms using remote management products such as Valley BaseStation™ and AgSense^® Field Commanders^®. Even though most of the center pivots are in relatively close proximity to each other, on average a 5- to 10-mile radius, the benefits of using these products are too valuable to ignore. One grower told me that he was able to eliminate putting 200 miles per week on each of his trucks because he didn’t have to physically go to every machine, every day. Instead of driving out to every machine every day, he could plan his day and week in a more methodical way. While the upfront cost of these products is a large investment, the payoff is swift, and the tangible benefits are quickly realized.

The acceleration of technology and its benefits continue to seep in to farming. Whether it is remote monitoring solutions for irrigation, soil moisture monitoring or bin management, technology makes farming more efficient and creates true economic benefit for these growers.

Scates Valley Irrigation hosted an Open House while I was visiting that attracted more than 100 local farmers interested in learning about these technologies and discussing “what’s new” in the industry. The sophistication of growers continues to evolve, and finding solutions to their needs is what keeps me up at night. What a great trip!

Scates Valley Open House

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Matt Ondrejko VP Global Marketing The one word that can sum up Matt is "enthusiasm!" He likes to be on-the-go and have fun along the way. Matt loves music and the 1980s era. He is a child of the MTV generation and has a deep appreciation of all music genres (specifically, he is a huge Dave Matthews Band groupie). Matt has traveled to more than 70 countries around the world and enjoys learning about different cultures and people. He spent three years living with his family in Leuven, Belgium, trying to enjoy as many of the 700+ beers they brew there.

Try Our New BaseStation3 Mobile App Demo | by John Campbell

 "See?" Try to count how many times you say that in one day and you'll probably lose track before dinner. Our lives revolve around what we can see. So even though I have been telling everyone how great the mobile app for Valley_® BaseStation3™ is, you really need to see it to believe it. 

Now that’s possible even if you don't own BaseStation3 yet. We added a "Demo" mode that enables anyone to experience the bright, clean layout, the intuitive design and the powerful control our app offers.

Search the correct App store for phone apps (or use these links: iOS or Android) for "Basestation3", download the App and at the bottom of the main screen you'll see the "Demo" button. Selecting that will take you into an interactive simulation of a BaseStation3-connected farm with several pieces of equipment; two Pro2 panels, one Select2 panel and one AuxLink.

With the Demo, you can see the pivot move at an accelerated rate, execute commands, change end gun angles, and try out the Step Program Editor and the Notes feature.

And, even though the App is for phone devices, it was carefully designed so it looks great on a tablet also.

Try the app out and see what all the fuss is about. Then give your Valley dealer a call so he can request a quote to install BaseStation3 at your farm.

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John Campbell Advanced Technology Product Manager John Campbell coordinates all of the Valley remote control and monitoring technology products, including BaseStation3. John lives in north Omaha, where he pursues his many hobbies, including classic cars and running.

Irrigation Exchange – Connecting BaseStation3 to the Rest of Precision Agriculture | by Andy Smith

Precision agriculture has become a common term throughout farming. Machine guidance, variable rate technology, imagery, mapping and the list goes on. As part of a recent presentation, I spent some time questioning just exactly what precision ag really is. The best definition I was able to glean is as follows:

• A management system that is information and technology based, is site specific, and uses one or more of the following sources of data: soils, crops, nutrients, pests, moisture or yield, for optimum profitability, sustainability and protection of the environment (adapted from Precision Ag. 2003).

The next step for me was to look for a definition of precision irrigation and I really did not find any consensus on the term. So I posed the following characteristics which I believe help define precision irrigation:

• An irrigation system that is the extension of precision ag into irrigation. It is information and technology based; spatially and temporally specific; integrates soil, crop, nutrient, pest, applied irrigation, rainfall/moisture, historical yield, yield targets, input costs, regulatory limitations and other factors, and seeks a balanced outcome for optimum profitability, sustainability and protection of the environment while providing measurable feedback.

Valley_® Irrigation has been a pioneer and leader in the principles of precision irrigation. With Irrigation Exchange™, Valley is taking another pioneering step by creating a way to connect its proven telemetry system, BaseStation3™, to other software systems being used by farmers to manage crop inputs, machinery, daily operations and the multitude of other critical farm operations. 

Working with other leading agricultural technology providers, Irrigation Exchange makes it possible for farmers to bring all of their information together and take a comprehensive approach to irrigation, in concert with the principles of precision ag.

At Valley, we recognize that irrigation is one of several critical inputs having influence over successful cropping strategies. We also know that agronomy theory must be executed with an understanding of practical limitations.

Farmers have to make choices continuously and with every choice, there is risk. We know that intuition, art and luck are alive and well on the farm and have as much or more influence than science at times. The bottom line, Valley wants to empower farmers to make the best choices possible and Irrigation Exchange is another way we are demonstrating leadership in precision irrigation.

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Andrew Smith Director of Technology Adoption Andy has spent more than 27 years involved in the irrigation industry as a farmer, contractor, designer, salesman, and trade representative. At Valley, he manages strategic relationships for mechanized irrigation technology across a broad range of applications. Andy lives in northern Michigan with his wife, Kim, and his daughter, Madison, and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities.

Visiting the Home Base of AgSense | by Rob Smith

Recently, I made a trip to the home base of AgSense^® in Huron, S.D. I have to admit that in early January there are a lot of places I’d rather visit than South Dakota. That being said, I was greeted by a warm welcome from the friendly folks at AgSense. 

A lot of innovative ideas and products come from small towns. Valley_® Irrigation and AgSense both have this in common. When you come from this type of environment, everyone in the company has to wear multiple hats. 

It’s great to see a company working as a team. Everyone at AgSense is cross trained and can do anything from answering the phone to helping on the assembly line. Don’t be surprised when Terry (the president of AgSense) answers the phone and helps a farmer with a technical question.

This type of hands-on approach allows AgSense to provide immediate, focused customer service. Not only does this benefit the customer, but the feedback from the customer can be applied to product improvement, fostering innovation and development. I’ve heard from many farmers how friendly and helpful the people at AgSense are when responding to phone calls and questions. 

It may sound cliché, but there really is a family atmosphere at AgSense. You can tell its people care about each other and the business on a very personal level. We, here at Valley, are very glad to have them on our team.

(Note: Valmont_® Industries, the parent company of Valley Irrigation, recently acquired a majority interest in South Dakota-based AgSense. Read more here.)

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Rob Smith Product Application Manager Rob Smith works with remote control and monitoring technology products including AgSense®, TrackerSP and BaseStation3™.  Rob lives in Fremont, Neb., where he and his wife do their best to keep up with their two boys’ sports activities, mainly hockey.

Why the ‘Three Legged Stool’ of Precision Ag Irrigation Matters | by AgSense

Having Precision Ag hardware or software isn't enough. Maybe this sounds weird coming from a company [AgSense] that sells hardware and software but trust us, you're going to want to read this.

Ever since Precision Ag was introduced into the irrigation segment of crop production, the advent of variable rate irrigation prescriptions, remote sensor monitoring and remote control of the irrigation equipment has led to an arms race among growers and companies to produce and implement the highest end programs to impact yield efficiency.

But none of it matters if there isn't a clear system to leverage the data you're collecting to make an impact on yield efficiency.


Think of Precision Irrigation as a 'three legged stool'

Precision Ag happens when hardware, software and agronomy work together. Done correctly, this should seamlessly provide the highest payback and trouble-free experience for the grower customer.

To achieve this harmony, there should be at least three people or groups of people involved in the Precision Irrigation process.

1. Growers
2. Agronomists
3. Hardware Supplier (example: local AgSense [or Valley] dealer)

If any single one of these groups are not collaborating properly, the whole program could fall apart.

Often times there are individuals that locally supply and support one "leg" of the stool but not the others. For growers, the challenge is knowing "who do I call about what?"

Each leg of the stool should understand the role the other two play

There needs to be strong personal relationships and lines of communication between each leg. For example, the agronomist maybe isn’t an expert on telemetry but understands what the equipment does, how it should work and who to call if it's not working.

Growers see the highest impact when they're committed to maintaining the process of keeping all relevant parties in communication with one another at the appropriate times.

Growers aren't alone in having to maintain this process, here are also some things that AgSense is doing to help solidify this ‘three legged stool.'
1. Online Resources - We've invested in making support material available to growers, agronomists, dealers and suppliers. You'll find many of them in our support section.
2. Boots on the ground - We currently have four locations from which to serve our customer base at a local level.
3.  Joint grower meetings - We regularly attend and host joint grower meetings where each leg of the stool is available to present information and answer questions. Along with that, we also conduct local dealer and grower training sessions, often done jointly.
4. Trade Shows - We're attending national and local trade shows and events in order to give customers an opportunity to speak to our staff and each other directly.
5. We're a call away - Our support center is available to growers and industry partners. You always talk to a real person who lives and breathes precision agriculture. Our number is 605-352-8350. 

How to strengthen your Precision Ag Process if you're a grower

1. Put your agronomist and hardware dealer on speed dial.
2. Make sure your agronomist and hardware dealer have each other's contact information.
3. Inform your agronomist of your goals for precision agriculture irrigation. 

These three simple steps will help get the conversation started or make it more efficient.

Do a good job of tapping the knowledge of the parties involved in maintaining Precision Ag on your operation and you'll reap the benefits.  

Reprinted with permission from the AgSense website.

Google Maps Makes BaseStation3 Even More User Friendly

Irrigators who use Valley BaseStation3™ to remotely monitor and control their pivots are thrilled with how easy it is to use and the time it saves. However, Valley isn’t resting on its laurels. Instead, Valley is already making updates to further simplify life for growers by integrating Google Maps™ into BaseStation3. 

John Campbell, Valley advanced technology product manager, says BaseStation3 will now come equipped with the software for Google Maps. Existing BaseStation3 users only need a simple software update to take advantage of this new feature, available in December. 

Campbell says Google Maps is a natural fit for BaseStation3 and is very easy to use. Growers no longer have to draw their maps, which saves time during the initial setup. 

"All the grower has to do is enter the latitude and longitude of the machines, along with their lengths, and this software will place the machines on a map for easy viewing," Campbell explains. "This is especially helpful for growers who have larger operations that are spread out. They can see as much or as little as they want – the broader view or the details." 

Growers can view their machines on any Web browser and can zoom in and out of the high-resolution image, showing smaller areas or entire operations. As the image zooms out, machines are grouped into pins. Go out even farther, and colored circles show the number of machines in an area. 

"Google Maps is updated constantly, so growers are getting information that’s up-to-date," says Campbell. "And the grower can edit or tweak the location of the machines on the map, if they aren’t in exactly the correct spot."

Campbell says Valley developed this software update because customers asked for it. 

"We also think we’ll be able to integrate other features down the road, conceivably topographical information and weather," he says. "This integration gives us more options for the long-term."

Reprinted from Valley PivotPoint magazine, Winter2014

The Future of Overhead Low Pressure Irrigation in Australia | by Martin Porter

As we move into the future of agriculture in Australia, we will see a need for reduced production costs such as labor, chemicals and water, and also an increase in crop yields. 

This will be affected dramatically by climate change and the population growth within Australia and the world. Technology will be developed to reduce the inputs within these businesses moving into the future.

Low-pressure overhead irrigation has been used in Australia since the early 1960s, however it was never all that successful as the evaporation figures and development were USA-based. In some areas of Australia, the daily evaporation figures exceed 10 mm per day, which is higher than the original designs and led to the earlier failures.

In the 1980s, the research and development was limited in overhead irrigation. At this time, Australia had not seen droughts since Federation times (1895–1902) and there had never been a huge demand on the river systems until the drought of 1982–1983. 

The drought in 1991, through to the 1995 El Nino, was the worst drought since 1902. There was an increased demand on rivers and waterways, so irrigation practices had to change from then and into the future, with the increasing need to go to efficient irrigation.

This is when Valmont_® Irrigation Australia opened in 1998 and started customizing application rates and delivering product from a warehouse based in Brisbane. It was the first to do so, as all product was directly imported prior to this.

Figure 1: Average Evaporation (2009) Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology

Overhead irrigation concept 

Through the overhead irrigation concept, water is delivered through a pipeline or structure at a low pressure, normally regulated to 15 PSI or 1.03 bar at the sprinkler. These systems are designed in such a way that low connection pressure is the key, so they are designed with larger supply pipelines to reduce the connection pressures. Also, the pumps are matched at the higher efficiency levels to reduce long-term cost of ownership.

The efficiency of water delivered to the crop is 85 to 92 percent efficient, making this a very efficient way to irrigate.

Labor impacts

Labor costs are rising and any reduction in labor is a reduction in costs to farmers. Labor and time were not factored in many years ago, but now we have to look at this due to farmer’s families moving off the land and the corporate farmer being the norm for broad acre farming that produce cereals and grain crops. The average age of a farmer is increasing and as of 2011 was 55 years of age (Figure 2).

Overhead irrigation reduces the labor needs and it also reduces the skilled labor required on a farm. The occupational health and safety issues being seen are fatigue caused by long hours in the field and heat stress, so less time in the field for the farmer means a better lifestyle. This is also seen with air conditioned tractors and machinery getting larger and more efficient on the farms.

Figure 2: Age Profiles of farmers – 1981 and 2011 (Source: ABS Census of Populations and Housing)  

Financial costs

One of the greatest costs and increasing costs in the next few years will be energy. This is why with overhead irrigation there will need to be reduced cost of ownership, increased  size of pipelines and an examination of technology in pumping and water spray patterns. There will also be an option of creating on farm power generation systems using methane gas produced through generation units. This technology is being used in Europe and in Australia. There is a cane farmer near Mackay doing a trial with this sort of system, using the stubble and trash in a digester to create the gas used to power a generator. 

Also in the west of Australia, a farmer that grows carrots has wind turbines on his farm for his business' own use and for delivering power to the network. The use of solar technology also will be used on farms.

Technology changes

There will be adjustments to technology in water application and monitoring of irrigation equipment. These will be more regulated and farmers will make decisions based on this information. 

Advancement in farm technology will give us a guideline to crop yields versus water input, providing us maximum use of the water resource. Monitoring this technology will be via the cloud base technologies that we see today. There will be advancement to sensor technology and this will again give us a measurement of what our irrigation is doing. There will be advancement into the application of water and soil type changes within a field. Soil technology will become a factor in new farming methods, and agronomists will lead to some of these changes with sustainable practices becoming more accepted within farming. The use of technology will reduce time in the field and the final goal is to increase yields. 

Population growth

In Australia by 2030, it is estimated our population will increase by five million people, and worldwide we are looking at an increase from 7 billion in 2012 to 9.1 billion in 2050. We will see an increased demand of all resources and a reduction of water availability throughout Australia, and we will see the changes to more efficient irrigation practices throughout the world.

Conclusion

As Australia and the world’s population increases, we will have to change our ideas on food and lifestyle to adapt to what can be produced by our farmers. 

The way that the farms use technology is more supplementary at the moment and this will need to change to increase yields and reduce costs. Farmers need to reduce costs, look at what they are doing to the environment for future generations, and think about tomorrow - not just for today.

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Martin Porter Territory Sales Manager, Valmont Irrigation Australia Martin has been involved with pumps since 1986 and irrigation since 1994. In 2003, he realized the future was efficiency in water movement and application, which led to his eventual position with Valmont. He has also worked in power generation, project management, total quality management, and real estate. In his spare time, Martin enjoys water sports, particularly sailing. He is a yachting instructor and trains up-and-coming Naval cadets.

Embrace Technology - It's Driving Agriculture | by Matt Ondrejko

Being responsible for Global Marketing provides me some great opportunities to travel the world and meet people from all over.

Last week I happened to be in Brazil at the annual Valley_® Brazilian dealer meeting. I was in the presence of several hundred dealers that bleed Valley blue - it is a good place to be.

During the meeting, I had the honor of listening to a local Brazilian speaker Silvana Goulart, who was brought in to discuss the importance of working to create prospective sales and customers through various means. One thing that struck me was her passionate plea to the Brazilian dealers to understand times are changing. The customer is changing, the way they run their businesses is changing, the way the dealer does business is changing – and it is all being driven by technology!

Matt Ondrejko and Silvana Goulart

The younger generation of farmers – inheriting the business from their parents, or buying into a farm – want to do things simpler, faster and more effectively. They want technology to help them drive decisions, increase their quality of life, allow them more family time. Oh yes, and make them more money!

This is the message being communicated in Brazil today; it is the same message and same trend being seen around the world. Sure the rate of technological adoption is different from country to country, but the simple fact is that technology is influencing the way we do business at an accelerated rate. It is changing our expectations, our perceptions and the amount of time we are willing to wait for action and results.

If we do not recognize and adopt technology to our benefit, we will lose and our competition will pass us by. This is true for any business or any walk of life. People who embrace and use technology will accelerate and succeed.

Thank you Ms. Goulart for driving home a message that is considerably important to the success of all us.

Embrace technology, use it to your benefit, help your customer use it – I promise it will reward you.

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Matt Ondrejko VP Global Marketing The one word that can sum up Matt is "enthusiasm!" He likes to be on-the-go and have fun along the way. Matt loves music and the 1980s era. He is a child of the MTV generation and has a deep appreciation of all music genres (specifically, he is a huge Dave Matthews Band groupie). Matt has traveled to more than 70 countries around the world and enjoys learning about different cultures and people. He spent three years living with his family in Leuven, Belgium, trying to enjoy as many of the 700+ beers they brew there.

BaseStation3 Offers Option of No Recurring Fees | by John Campbell

I’ve been showing BaseStation3™ at a lot of ag shows, open houses and customer visits. Each time the audiences’ interest is focused on a different unique feature of BaseStation3. 

One grower or group might be particularly interested in the mobile app; its clean design and intuitive operation. A different group may focus on the user configurability that no other product offers. Yet another group likes the fact that an Internet connection isn’t required for BaseStation3 to work.

Of all the things that makes it “best in class,” when I tell growers that BaseStation3 is the only product on the market that offers the option of no monthly or annual fees, I always get their undivided attention.

The only product that offers unprecedented user configuration; the only product that doesn’t require access to the Internet; the only product that allows over-the-air transfer of Variable Rate Irrigation prescriptions; the only product that allows a combination of different communication links to the field and the option of no recurring fees.

How can it get any better than that?

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John Campbell Advanced Technology Product Manager John Campbell coordinates all of the Valley remote control and monitoring technology products, including BaseStation3. John lives in north Omaha, where he pursues his many hobbies, including classic cars and running.

The Precision Irrigation Story | by Andy Smith

I recently had the privilege of attending and participating in the Water for Food global conference in Seattle. As an irrigation professional for most of my adult life, I listen to the dialogue in such conferences with a tainted opinion. I know we will have the solutions it will take to feed and clothe the world's population in 2050. We will even have the luxury of being able to produce excess biomass for energy and other bio-based products. The question is, will the marketplace, public policy and society allow us to execute and meet the challenge?

I make the above statement based sheerly upon science. However, advancing and sustaining the global agricultural system requires a balanced, three-pronged approach, with equal regard for social, environmental and economic considerations. An environmental system will not work without supporting social and economic systems. A social system will fail without a healthy economic and environmental system, while the best economic system can cripple social and environmental systems. Finding a balance is key.

It is also important to recognize the need for sustainability strategies to be locally adaptable. In an extreme example, it is clear that farming in Arizona looks much different than it does in my home state of Michigan, and it should. Social, economic and environmental systems vary by field, farm, locale, region and country. Too often, public policy is written in one-size-fits-all mode and it is ineffective because it is irrelevant when applied locally. While global, national and regional agricultural policies are important, such policies have to be adaptable to harmonize with field-level, social, environmental and economic needs.

So why is any of this important? The readers of this blog represent a local piece of the global agricultural system. There are many voices being heard about what agriculture should be doing, or not doing, to meet the needs of a growing global population. Unfortunately, agriculture has become so productive; we need fewer people to feed the world. Our voices are often drowned out by uninformed opinions, or worse, absent from the discussions that decide what agriculture should look like in the future. 

In this age of non-stop news and viral social media, it is more important now than ever to participate in the dialogue and tell The Precision Irrigation Story to those involved in rule making and governance at all levels impacting agriculture.

Tip O'Neill once said, "All politics is local." I think this is particularly true with agriculture. Especially precision irrigated agriculture.

Speaking up should be easy. The irrigation industry, particularly Valley_®, has a great story to tell. We have developed the means to surgically apply precise amounts of water where it is needed, when it is needed, with variable rate application technology. We are developing mechanisms to empower growers to share and consume information across a variety of farm management systems (BaseStation3™ and Irrigation Exchange™), leading to a more holistic approach to water management in harmony with telematics, sensors, biotechnology, software and supporting infrastructure. The tools are there now and they are continuing to expand and get better every day. And the good news, it’s working!

In the U.S., we are using less water than we did in 1970. Things like this don't happen by accident. Improving the way we irrigate has been a big contributing factor. Agricultural output continues to increase while inputs decrease. We are also proving that land can be farmed and made better at the same time. Farming is not linear, it is cyclical, as is water. Each time we place that seed in the soil represents renewed opportunity. So too, the practice of precision irrigation can represent a regenerative step in the hydrologic cycle.

Trends in total water withdrawals by water-use category, 1950–2010. (® U.S. Geological Survey)

At the Water for Food conference I kept hearing a term I have grown very fond of over the last several weeks: "sustainable intensification." It provides opportunities for optimizing crop production per unit area, taking into consideration the range of sustainability aspects including potential and/or real social, political, economic and environmental impacts.

Our commitment is to continue to develop more and better precision irrigation tools to help fulfill that goal. Be proud of what you do in precision irrigated agriculture and thank you for making Valley your partner in precision irrigation. 

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Andrew Smith Director of Industry Relations Andy has spent more than 27 years involved in the irrigation industry as a farmer, contractor, designer, salesman, and trade representative. At Valley, he manages strategic relationships for mechanized irrigation technology across a broad range of applications. Andy lives in northern Michigan with his wife, Kim, and his daughter, Madison, and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities.

Learning and Fun on Saturday Morning | by Cole Fredrick

A few months back, I got the opportunity participate in an Art (+) Smart Saturdays program at The Durham Museum. The event featured engineering and focused on Valmont_® Industries, Inc., and the products it produces. So, naturally it included Structures, Lighting and, of course, Valley_® Irrigation. 

This program was a chance for kids of all ages to come in and see what companies such as Valmont and Kiewit produce or manufacture, and also how they developed. This was a great opportunity to not only talk to kids, but also parents, about the industry, where we have been, and where we are going. I spent much of the time talking with folks about how their parents or grandparents had worked for Valley and the experiences they had.

Many people had grown up on farms and knew exactly what a center pivot was. At the same time, it was entertaining to hear from others that they thought crop circles were from aliens! (I still always describe my job like that when traveling). It was amazing to show them how we produce crops and how technology can link everything together.

We also offered some hands-on projects. I set up a BaseStation3™ module and essentially let the kids play a video game of irrigating. It is always interesting when you tell them you can water the world from an iPhone®. Plus, it is literally like a video game.

The Valmont structures team was also there, and  one of the activities they offered was a gumdrop structure build off. This was entertaining as the kids normally walked away with super sticky fingers and a parent shrugging their shoulders!

This experience helped me realize the importance of educating and especially hands-on learning. What I thought would be a boring Saturday morning turned out to be a great day of learning and visiting.

Which brings me to my last thought, since this was such a good event, make sure to visit the Omaha Children’s Museum where Valmont has an actual pivot outside and a smaller pivot inside for the kids to see! It is called Once Upon a Farm and it is sure to lead to a good time and lots of learning!

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Cole Fredrick Product Manager - Variable Rate Irrigation Cole has been with Valley Irrigation since 2011, where he manages the Valley Variable Rate Irrigation products. He was born and raised on a farm near Grand Island, NE (AKA "paradise"), and he tries to return back home as often as possible. Cole is a HUGE Husker fanatic! He stays young by enjoying all outdoor activities and almost any sport.

Mobile Apps for BaseStation3 Keep Growers Connected | by John Campbell

Back when I worked on the original BaseStation™, a grower’s shop was the center of his operations. Everything that needed to happen was managed from that small but busy center of activity. That’s not the case now. A grower’s command center is really wherever the farmer happens to be. On the road, at home, in the field, or even on vacation, the smartphone that connects him to his farm never leaves his side. 

BaseStation3™ has mobile apps that were designed specifically for either Apple® iOS or Android® operation systems. That means that it was designed from the very beginning to work with those devices. 

The mobile apps for BaseStation3 are bright easy to see in the sun; have a clean, modern design; are intuitive to use; and give the grower the ability to stay informed and in control. Wherever. Whenever.

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Learn more about BaseStation3 in this interview with John Campbell, or stop by the Valley booth at Husker Harvest Days to meet John and see a BaseStation3 demo.

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John Campbell Advanced Technology Product Manager John Campbell coordinates all of the Valley remote control and monitoring technology products, including BaseStation3. John lives in north Omaha, where he pursues his many hobbies, including classic cars and running.