The Feasibility of Variable Rate Irrigation with Center Pivot Systems in the Northern Texas High Plains

A thorough site-specific assessment of the economic viability of Precision Agriculture Technology must be conducted prior to producer adoption. In the semi-arid region of the Texas High Plains, research has shown that no production input is more important than water. The majority of irrigation water in this region is applied using center pivots. In this paper, the feasibility of using variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology on these center pivot systems is assessed using actual yield maps from producers within the region.. Analysis of producer yield maps indicate that many producers have enough yield variability to justify the investment of VRI technology. A simple process is illustrated for assessing the required variability using commercial, yield-mapping software. Discussion of the necessary variability distribution for feasibility is included. The impact of commodity prices on the economic feasibility of VRI technology is also mentioned.