Illia Zhemelinskyi | Blog

When it comes to irrigation, most farmers face the exact same problem: the equipment is expensive, but making the wrong choice is even costlier. In practice, the difference between the right and wrong decision means either years of payback or continuous losses.

An incorrectly selected irrigation machine leads to:

• under-watering or water waste;
• unnecessary electricity expenses;
• constant dependence on personnel;
• and as a result—under-realized yields or excessive costs.

Let's break down the types of irrigation machines, their real differences, and how to choose the option that will deliver results specifically for you while avoiding mistakes.

What is an Irrigation Machine and How It Works

An irrigation machine is a steel pipeline structure equipped with nozzles that spray water evenly across the field. It is mounted on towers with wheels and electric drives, allowing it to move autonomously.

The key objective is to ensure stable, uniform watering with minimal water and energy losses.

Types of Irrigation Machines: What is the Fundamental Difference?

In practice, there are three main types:

• Center Pivots (circular)—operate in a circle around a central pivot cart.
• Linear moves (lateral)—move rectilinearly along the field.
• Hippodrome systems (universal)—combine rectilinear movement with turns.

Movement Principle of Irrigation Machines:

Important: choosing between them is not about "which one is better," but about "which one fits your specific field geometry, resources, and personnel."

Center Pivot Machines: Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages:

• Virtually no personnel required—startup, application rates, and shutdown are managed remotely (from a phone or computer).
• Operate at low pressure at the hydrant—from 1.2–1.5 atm.
• The machine length can reach up to 1,200 m, allowing a single installation to cover up to 150–200 hectares.
• Allowable surface slope—up to 5% (approximately a 5 m elevation drop per 100 m of field length).

Disadvantages:

• Cover only 80–85% of the area due to their circular shape (field corners remain unwatered).

Linear Move Machines: Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages:

• Irrigate nearly 100% of the area, especially in regular-shaped fields (square or rectangle).
• Ensure high watering uniformity.
• Self-propelled—move without external intervention.
• Can operate using GPS coordinates (autopilot).
• Easily monitored visually right in the field.

Disadvantages:

• Require constant personnel presence (human factor).
• A tractor (e.g., MTZ-82) is needed for reconnection to hydrants.
• Limited flow capacity—up to 110 l/s.
• Require higher pressure at the hydrant compared to center pivot machines.

Hippodrome Machines: Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages:

• Optimal for irregularly or non-standard shaped fields.
• Thanks to combined movement (rectilinear and turning), watering efficiency reaches 92–98%.
• Allow for quick redirection to irrigate different sections—effectively enabling a single system to manage twice the area.
• Self-propelled.

Disadvantages:

• Require constant personnel presence.
• A tractor is needed for reconnection to hydrants (e.g., MTZ-82).
• Limited flow capacity—up to 110 l/s.
• Higher hydrant pressure requirements than center pivot machines.

Algorithm for Selecting an Irrigation Machine

1. Evaluate Personnel Availability

A single linear machine requires a minimum of 3 operators with a tractor (shift work). Such a crew can service up to 3 machines if they are located close to each other. If there is a labor shortage, center pivot machines are the optimal choice.

2. Analyze Field Shape and Dimensions

It is recommended to model 2–3 options for machine placement:

• Center pivots—for fields close to a square shape.
• Linear moves—for rectangular plots.
• Hippodrome systems—for complex field configurations.

3. Be Cautious with Towable Center Pivot Machines

Moving machines between positions always involves the human factor and the risk of breakdowns. In practice, 3 out of 10 cases require service intervention due to incorrect operation.

4. Include Correct Pressure in Technical Requirements

The recommended pressure at the last hydrant is 1.5–2 atm. This slightly increases the initial system cost (due to larger pipe diameters) but significantly reduces electricity costs in the future.

5. The Main Cost Factor is Pipes

About 70% of the machine's cost is the pipeline. The machine length is typically half the width of the field.

Recommended watering application rates:

• Central regions—from 7 mm/ha/day.
• Southern regions—from 9 mm/ha/day.

6. Correct Choice of Sprinklers

The optimal choice is i-Wob: it forms medium-sized droplets that mimic natural rain, does not compact the soil, and does not damage plants.

7. Irrigation Water Filtration

The systems are not overly sensitive to water quality, but it is mandatory to:

• install a coarse mesh filter (2 mm mesh size);
• placement options: central pivot tower / field start / pumping station.

8. Additional Recommendations

• For linear machines—dual connection (2 flexible hoses of 100 m each, Ø150 mm, hydrant spacing—150 m).
• For diesel systems—Perkins engines (1,500 rpm): fuel savings of up to 40% and a longer service life.
• For center pivots—underground power cable and remote control.
• It is mandatory to install a water meter with a pulse output for monitoring and remote accounting.

Conclusion

The biggest mistake is choosing an irrigation machine based on the "where it is cheaper" principle.

The right approach involves:

• calculating operational costs;
• adapting to the field;
• understanding your resources.

Irrigation is a 20–30 year investment that pays off in 3–5 years and ensures stable results even during the driest seasons. A well-chosen system becomes more than just equipment—it becomes a reliable tool for steady profits for decades, requiring no continuous additional expenses.

Illia Zhemelinskyi, Director of Variant Irrigation (Variant Agro Build LLC)—a Ukrainian manufacturer of irrigation systems.

The material was prepared with the participation of Oleh Kovalchuk, Head of the Irrigation Department for the "Prydniprovskyi" cluster at Kernel, who has many years of hands-on experience in operating irrigation systems.