25 acres & trying irrigate hay

[dkwally]

I've got 25 acres in coastal hay and a river that is never dry at my little farm. Am looking to irrigate from the river. Am calculating and learning the correct volumes, pressures, and delivery system. Getting this right appears to be more complicated than anticipated. Have an good running ford 851D and hope to create a PTO pumping situation. Wisdom/experience/suggestions will be welcome.

 

[Muhammad]

Welcome to TBN.

 

[RickB]

I've got 25 acres in coastal hay and a river that is never dry at my little farm. Am looking to irrigate from the river. Am calculating and learning the correct volumes, pressures, and delivery system. Getting this right appears to be more complicated than anticipated. Have an good running ford 851D and hope to create a PTO pumping situation. Wisdom/experience/suggestions will be welcome.

I have zero direct experience with irrigation, but I will tell you that I don't think there is sufficient value in Coastal hay to pay for the inputs to irrigate it.

The last place I would put a 50 year old tractor is running an unattended irrigation pump.

 

[Briana03]

Hello & WELCOME to TBN!

I moved your thread to the Build-It Yourself Forum.

 

[ptwohig]

At 10 dollars a sqaure bale and 150 a round bale for Horse hay, I think you could make some money. We are trucking hay in from as far away as Wisconsin right now.

 

[Cacinok]

At 10 dollars a sqaure bale and 150 a round bale for Horse hay, I think you could make some money. We are trucking hay in from as far away as Wisconsin right now.

Your bio doesn't state where you're at, but prices around here are pretty close to what you quoted. Peak hay.

Welcome to the forum DKWally.

 

[MarkV]

At 10 dollars a sqaure bale and 150 a round bale for Horse hay, I think you could make some money. We are trucking hay in from as far away as Wisconsin right now.

Trucking to where??? It is all relative to where you are located. This year in Texas I am sure hay prices are over the top with their drought, not necessarily true elsewhere.

My experience with irrigation is also limited but I can't imagine watering 25 acres with a tractor operated pump.

MarkV

 

[dkwally]

Rick, Thanks for the input. I've been surfing, reading, asking and my numbers still indicate that in the context of my plan I should be able to make a decent go of it. Agreed that the 851 is a questionable power source but that is not the key ingredient here as I see it. A better diesel tractor will be needed eventually. Although I have no solid formula it looks like about 40 horsepower will power a Peerless 800 gpm centrifugal pump to elevate and pressurize irrigation water the necessary 25 feet. This fits the tractor pretty well barring mechanical problems. On the production side of this, my property has made 5 large rounds per acre in a perfect year about 5 seasons ago. I had it subbed out at the time and know none of the particulars, just that it was an excellent rain year. If quality management, chemicals, and irrigation could get and keep production at 5 bales an acre that should be 100 to 110 small square bales. Given that the price around here for high quality horse hay is to $6 to $8 and this year is much higher due to drought I'm thinking there's some margin here for each of the probable 5 cuttings I expect. What do your think I'm missing here? Thanks again for the commentary>
Wally

 

[flusher]

I've got 25 acres in coastal hay and a river that is never dry at my little farm. Am looking to irrigate from the river. Am calculating and learning the correct volumes, pressures, and delivery system. Getting this right appears to be more complicated than anticipated. Have an good running ford 851D and hope to create a PTO pumping situation. Wisdom/experience/suggestions will be welcome.

What type of irrigation setup are you planning to use--pipes and sprinklers, surface irrigation, pivot sprinkler, water reel, traveling sprinkler?

 

[dkwally]

I looked at a Kifco pto pump and reel recently. The reel was nearly new but turned out to not be available although I was ready to purchase the pump. My acreage is in three separate but adjacent areas which presents additional distribution problems. I am currently thinking about permanent trenched sprinklers. With such a small area it looks like a single reel may cost nearly as much as trenching, piping, and valving the very sandy soil on my place. Moreover, the reel would need tending and positioning. Center pivot just doesn't look like a sensible solution on my property. I assume permanently piped sprinkers could be controlled with valving and electronics. It is likely that an added adjoining 20 acres will be leased and irrigated. That acreage WOULD need portable watering since I would not do permanent irrigation on rented property. Got any advice???

 

[flusher]

I looked at a Kifco pto pump and reel recently. The reel was nearly new but turned out to not be available although I was ready to purchase the pump. My acreage is in three separate but adjacent areas which presents additional distribution problems. I am currently thinking about permanent trenched sprinklers. With such a small area it looks like a single reel may cost nearly as much as trenching, piping, and valving the very sandy soil on my place. Moreover, the reel would need tending and positioning. Center pivot just doesn't look like a sensible solution on my property. I assume permanently piped sprinkers could be controlled with valving and electronics. It is likely that an added adjoining 20 acres will be leased and irrigated. That acreage WOULD need portable watering since I would not do permanent irrigation on rented property. Got any advice???

Around here hayfields are surface irrigated. My neighbor grows alfalfa on 20 acres irrigated either by government water from the ag canal system here in the Great Central Valley or, during drought years (2007-09) when the govmint rationed canal water, with well water ( about 100 ft depth, pump is run by a stationary diesel salvaged from an old Nissan). Flow is around 600 gal/min from the well and to irrigate 20 acres takes about 70-80 hours of pumping at 1-1.5 gal/hr fuel burn.

Surface irrigation requires a lot of preparation: rip the soil to 24" depth with a D7 Cat pulling a double shank subsoiler to break up the hardpan layer(s); laser level the field and slope it so the water flows correctly from one end to the other; plow checks into the field to keep the water flowing in one direction; install the main pipe and valves to tap the pipe at 10-20 ft intervals; then fertilize and plant.

Don't know if this helps, but good luck in your haying project.

 

[dkwally]

Flusher, Thanks for the explanation. What is meant by "surface irrigation"? Is this just flowing water onto the top of the soil and directing it across the field or is there a pressurized sprinkling delivery? Also, my hay is already in (Coastal Bermuda) and my soil is totally red sand 15'+ deep over bedrock. Other than hay and a small cattle herd it was last cropped in peanuts probably 20-25 years ago. It's so well drained that standing water goes down like a sieve so my guess is there is no hardpan situation. In your friend's situation, how much water is applied per acre per session per cutting for the 70-80 pumping hours?? Thanks again.
Wally

 

[DanD78]

Can you rent the equipment you need?

Dan

 

[dkwally]

Dan, That would be a good way to try out hardware and ultimately make a more informed purchase IF rental hardware is available in the season. Don't know yet what would be available here in central Texas or how costly a rental would be.
Wally

 

[MarkV]

Wally have you talked to your cooperative extension agent? Here is a site that will show what is in your state. Cooperative Extension System Offices In my area they are the best source of information when it comes to what Ag practices work best in the area.

MarkV

 

[flusher]

Flusher, Thanks for the explanation. What is meant by "surface irrigation"? Is this just flowing water onto the top of the soil and directing it across the field or is there a pressurized sprinkling delivery? Also, my hay is already in (Coastal Bermuda) and my soil is totally red sand 15'+ deep over bedrock. Other than hay and a small cattle herd it was last cropped in peanuts probably 20-25 years ago. It's so well drained that standing water goes down like a sieve so my guess is there is no hardpan situation. In your friend's situation, how much water is applied per acre per session per cutting for the 70-80 pumping hours?? Thanks again.
Wally

Yep, it's flood irrigation (a sheet of water, ideally, flows across the field from the high side to the low side, grade is about 1 percent). No sprinklers. The main pipe from the well (or whatever water source) is pressurized and runs along the high side of the field. That pipe has hand valves every 10 feet or so which are opened when irrigation is needed. The flow rate is adjusted so there's minimal runoff at the low side of the field. This arrangement minimizes the amount of pipe needed, but at the cost of a lot of work to level and slope the field initially before planting. IIRC, there's less evaporative loss with this type of irrigation than with sprinklers.

He irrigates 20 acres of alfalfa once between cuttings (deep watering) for about 70 hours at 600 gal/min which is 126,000 gallons per acre (0.38 acre-ft) if my math is correct.

 

[flusher]

Here are some photos of that alfalfa field when the irrigation system was being tested.

The main pipe is underground. The concrete caissons provide access to the main valve.



You can see two of the long checks that have been plowed into the field. Separation between checks is about 105 ft.



Water flowing from one of the taps in the main pipe.



Hope this helps.

 

[tcreeley]

Do you have to worry about environmental regs? Up here a farmer was fined for diverting water out of a small river.

 

[blueriver]

I can't imagine watering 25 acres with a tractor operated pump.

MarkV

You just have not looked at the right pumps ...

I looked at a Kifco pto pump and reel recently. The reel was nearly new but turned out to not be available although I was ready to purchase the pump. My acreage is in three separate but adjacent areas which presents additional distribution problems. I am currently thinking about permanent trenched sprinklers. With such a small area it looks like a single reel may cost nearly as much as trenching, piping, and valving the very sandy soil on my place. Moreover, the reel would need tending and positioning. Center pivot just doesn't look like a sensible solution on my property. I assume permanently piped sprinkers could be controlled with valving and electronics. It is likely that an added adjoining 20 acres will be leased and irrigated. That acreage WOULD need portable watering since I would not do permanent irrigation on rented property. Got any advice???

Also look at Smith Irrigation equipment ...

Do you have to worry about environmental regs? Up here a farmer was fined for diverting water out of a small river.

Very good point indeed ... check that out. Best to have a private source.

 

[dkwally]

tcreeley, Yes there are regulations. I own riverfront on the Brazos and have deeded riparian rights to (the reasonable use of) water for domestic purposes. When needing more water as for irrigation I need to contract with the Brazos River Authority for a requested amount of acre footage of water, currently about $43 per acre foot.