# Irrigation Question



## Jonas111 (Jul 29, 2018)

We are getting our acreage ready to do two to three cuts per year of hay. In doing so we have to find an irrigation system and we can possibly get some funding from the government to help get rid of the old and do a new system.

We were going to use hose reels but government says hose reels are inefficient.

We have a price for a solid set irrigation system that I am leaning towards. Uses the big guns. Our field is 2000' long and max 400' wide.

Has anyone any experience with a solid set irrigation for hay? I would love to hear your opinions and the pros and cons going this route.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Welcome to haytalk Jonas...
What exactly do you mean "solid set" not familiar with that term.....are you talking about putting in permanent pipes with risers and guns? Hose reels are not that inefficient with regards to water usage, depending on the layout of the field....they are definately inefficient for the operator and as such I would opt for a more efficient method for me. But they are relatively affordable.....where do you get your water? Often times efficiency, or lack thereof, is the the method of delivering the water and the infrastructure to carry the water......


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## Jonas111 (Jul 29, 2018)

I can get my water out of a river or I will have to drill a well. For the early stages of our project we will be using the river. If our hay is successful we will drill a well in the future.

Solid set is buried main line and risers to a big gun nozzle. Or similar.

I am trying to get a grant from the government. That's who is telling me hose reels are not efficient enough. I have to go with the solid set or a pivot style irrigation to maximize the grant I may be eligible for.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Ya, not too much a fan of solid pipe systems. That field don't lay out well for a pivot however.....


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## Jonas111 (Jul 29, 2018)

somedevildawg said:


> Ya, not too much a fan of solid pipe systems. That field don't lay out well for a pivot however.....


I had an irrigation company out yesterday to look the field over. The pivot won't work. I would have liked to use a pivot but it just doesn't make any sense.

Looks like a hose reel is the way we will be going. Sounds like the best way for our field.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

That's what I was thinkin' crazy how they can blanket a delivery system.....the type of field, in most cases dictates that......seems strange.


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## azmike (Jan 4, 2015)

We had an NRCS contract to upgrade our flooded 66 acres to solid set. 11 miles of ditches, 1130 sprinklers on risers. What a huge difference! We roto tilled the old stand of bermuda and over seeded sudan/sorgum, injected fertilizer. The sudan germinated virtually everywhere (no dry spots) and the bermuda liked getting tore up! This field is divided into six pastures that we rotate cattle on. We will over seed triticale for the winter.

Many neighboring farmers have come by for advice on solid set--when the sun is behind the fields and the water is on it looks like the Belagio in Las Vegas!

Over all it is still new but our production has gained a huge amount.

Patrick had us upgrade to automatic valves by zone. We would water 2.5 acres in 6-7 hours with two wells = 1250 gpm flooding, now we water the full 66 acres with one well in 20 hours.


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