Irrigate more corners

Jan 1, 1999 12:00 PM, Kurt Lawton

On a ranch outside San Antonio, Valmont brought in dealers and media for a glimpse of its new products, which all have a water management theme.One new product designed to deliver more profit on Midwest and High Plains farms is the Valley precision corner swing arm.

"The biggest benefit is that it can reach 24 more acres per quarter section and as many as 49 added acres in irregular-shaped fields," says Al Sawtelle, product manager for Valmont. "Figuring just $2 corn, growers could pay for the unit in 41/2 years due to increased yields on the additional acres."

The precision corner features a simplified design that eliminates bearings, track and rollers, oscillating components, mechanical switches and plastic cams to increase its operational life.

Smart system. The brains running it is Valmont's computer-aided management system (CAMS). It contains customized software called Compu-Spray that communicates with the swing arm to continuously adjust the speed and sprinkler sequencing to assure more uniform water/chemical and fertilizer application.An industry-first Span Sensor continually monitors tension and compression for stress-free operation. All horizontal, vertical and rotational movement is absorbed by a ball-and-socket joint rather than its 185- or 205-ft. span with 82-ft. overhang.

The precision corner is available as an option on all center pivot machines and may be retrofitted to a center pivot already in use. Contact Valmont Irrigation, Dept. FIN, Box 358, Valley, NE 68064-0358, 800/825-6668.