Bauer will introduce its centre-pivot irrigation system to UK growers at Lamma 2017 in January. A 12m section of the company’s Centerstar 9000 pivot irrigator will feature on a larger stand in a new, more prominent location at the event as Bauer aims to raise its profile and extend the product range available to growers in the UK and Ireland.
“We’re a leading supplier of mobile reel irrigators to growers with our ProRain and Rainstar systems,” Bauer’s UK sales manager, Adrian Tindall, said. “But we believe there’s a market for a modern centre-pivot system with automated controls that keep the manpower and management time needed to operate it to an absolute minimum.”
While hose-reel irrigators like the ProRain and heavier duty, bigger capacity Rainstar have the advantage of flexibility in that they can be set up and operated anywhere, a centre-pivot system is an attractive option in fields repeatedly growing crops that need irrigating.
“Covering a large area from a fixed point eliminates having to keep moving the irrigation equipment, so the savings in manpower are enormous,” Mr Tindall added. “Also, moving the irrigation boom by electric motors rather than a water-driven turbine takes less energy and applying water by low pressure sprinklers rather than a high pressure gun makes more efficient use of water through reduced evaporation.”
The Bauer Centerstar 9000 irrigator operates with fixed or wheeled pivot towers (the latter enabling the system to be relocated) that are constructed from galvanised steel and scaled to suit a number of span sections covering up to 220ha in one go. In Britain, the systems for up to 60ha and 150ha are most relevant, with a choice of nozzles for the droppers providing appropriate distribution and droplet sizes for different crops.
External ball and socket joints between each span structure and the drive wheel towers allow flexible articulation over surface contours, while stability is ensured by the generous 4.3m or 5.2m wheelbase of the two inline drive wheels on each tower.
An electric motor driving through an integral worm gear transmission provides high torque propulsion to each wheel, with a wide choice of cleated tyres available to suit different soils and operating conditions.
A patented control mechanism operating through cables keeps the spans aligned for minimum stress and strain loads, while the regular arc shape of the span trussing, 90-degree bracing struts and high-tensile strength truss rods are intended to make the hardware as durable as possible without excessive weight.
While a standard circular irrigation pattern is the simplest solution, Bauer’s Corner system, which uses high-definition RTK satellite guidance, creates a near-square area for maximum use of available land.
The Corner system end span folds-in at a right-angle to the other spans to fit between the extremities of the field before swinging out progressively to fill the ‘corners’ and thereby extend the watering coverage.
Satellite guidance can also be used with the top-level Bauer SmartTouch controller and simpler Universal Pro G control box to accurately irrigate segments within the scope of the irrigation boom, while the touch screen unit can store several irrigation programmes and provide variable rate watering.
In addition, the Centerstar 9000 pivot irrigator can also connect with Bauer’s SmartRain mobile device App for remote monitoring and data collection.
For more information visit: www.bauer-at.com.
