Dairy farming is highly dependent on good irrigation to provide a stable, predictable supply of water to grow the high-quality forage and pasture crucial for milk production – especially in areas with variable rainfall, drought, and local challenges.
Well-engineered centre-pivot systems are a practical and efficient solution that can deliver the exact amount of irrigation and fertigation where it is needed, and when it is needed, to ensure best growth, while simultaneously curtailing wastage and achieving top standards of water conservation for sustainable farming during climate change.
The systems’ labour-saving and precise water use benefits are particularly pronounced when allied with remote, touchscreen control to precisely govern water distribution, variable application rates, start-stop speeds, and soil condition monitoring without needing time-poor farmers and managers having to physically invest the hours, travel and labour that could be used on other important tasks.
An organisation that has proven its engineering and local service formula over decades is Upton Centre Pivot Irrigation, which, from headquarters in Corowa NSW and Broome, WA, has delivered hundreds of its easily operated, low-pressure and highly efficient systems for the gentle, precise application of water and fertigation fluids, delivering water-soluble fertilisers, soil conditioners and insect treatments directly to the plant roots.
Marshall Farms achieve results in the Riverina
The 75-year-old Upton company has manufactured, installed, updated and serviced centre pivots and line irrigators in every state of Australia. Farmers impressed by their design and service standards have come back for multiple installations after the success and backup for their first.
Such successes include farmers Adam and Lachlan Marshall, whose diary partnerships operate at Blighty in the Riverina district of NSW. Adam Marshall’s latest Upton irrigation installations include a 343m span and 420m span SP200 200 series system for his properties situated between Finley and Deniliquin, which respectively cover 45 and 64.4 hectares.
These systems follow on from the success of earlier installations that achieved strong requirements, combining operational efficiency, uptime, service backup, and conservation and sustainability benefits.
The Upton systems, manufactured locally in Corowa, are engineered as extremely rugged units built from materials offering optimum service lives extending over decades. Their combination of aluminium piping produced by BlueScope for a tensile strength greater than mild steel, integrated with stainless steel centre tower components and rugged galvanised steel towers, has been proven in the field for well over 20 years.
Adam Marshall says such pivot systems are the most effective way to irrigate major fodder crops, such as corn, while also optimising pasture development in an environment that can be challenging in terms of climate, corrosion and wind.
The major structures of the corrosion-resistant Upton pivot systems are designed with greater width, a low centre of gravity, and greater metal structure than typical alternatives, so as to maximise uptime.
“We chose Upton pivots because they are Australian-made and the best out there for a tough job under local conditions, with parts available locally and quickly. They use marine-grade aluminium extensively, which means not only are they easier to position and reposition, but also their corrosion resistance means we can undertake fertigation and insecticide delivery over extended lifespans.
“But the big winner with Upton is that they are backed by prompt service, which is absolutely critical when you are applying water at precisely the best times for the crop, so as to get the best returns on your produce through your investment in sustainable irrigation.
“The Upton guys are responsive and professional, whether it is for routine maintenance or for particular tasks to optimise their systems for our environment – or to rectify production hitches, such as when sections of our system may be tipped over by the high winds we get out here east of Corowa.
“This can happen occasionally out here, even when we strap systems down in preparation for upcoming weather, and align them to minimise the impact of the wind.
“Such incidents could be extremely damaging to production, so that’s when you appreciate good local service. Each time an incident does happen, the Upton teams, led by Adam Beechy, were on-the-spot really quickly.
“They got one of the big systems back up and running inside 48 hours, and did a similarly swift job on the other one also. This responsiveness delivers top value for us, which is a credit to the Upton team and the backing for their Australian-made product.
High-strength engineering and smart technology
Features shared by Adam Marshall’s two latest Upton systems include:
- Heavy duty galvanised steel fixed centre pivot towers with 8in (203.2mm) stainless steel inlet riser, pipe and swivel elbow, plus galvanised steel tower assemblies carrying 8in and 6in (152.4mm) aluminium pipe spans with galvanised steel under trussing. The installation includes 4,000L diesel tank mounted on the slab of the systems’ concrete anchor pad.
- Lug 14.9 pattern tyres allowing for effective traction, even with a shallow tread depth, preventing damage to plants and ensuring smooth operation across wet and uneven fields.
- Heavy duty ICI wheel gearboxes and centre drives with high-strength output shaft and durable housing for durable fixed centre pivot use.
- GPS Pro tracking technology with fully programmable control, featuring 10 in (254mm) touch screen control and monitoring from phone. The system is powered by Fieldwise technology telemetry monitoring products designed to be flexible and upgradable to grow with expanding needs.
- Komet sprinkler pack pivots, to suit application rates of 15mm/24h and 11mm/24h on the 343 and 420m systems, respectively. These provide uniform water distribution across entire cultivation areas while maintaining a consistent droplet size to minimise water loss due to wind and heat. The system comprises goosenecks, flexible drops, 10psi regulator, and Twister sprinklers on 1.5m spacing, from a height of 1600mm.
- UMC 2.2kW boost pump and Komet Twin end gun, a pairing which offers benefits such as improved water pressure for maximum throw distance, enhanced distribution uniformity across the field, reduced soil erosion with its diffused start-up, and increased longevity due to durable, corrosion-resistant components designed to withstand harsh conditions and lower system pressures.
- Iveco N45TM2A turbocharged and intercooled diesel engine fitted with a heavy duty Goulds ISO pump that can also handle chemicals. A Murphy TEC 10 PowerCore TEC-10 panel provides full control of the engine, including auto start/stop, auto throttling and display of both engine parameters and critical faults.
Service and reliability focus
Upton Engineering’s Adam Beechy agrees the keys to the success of their ongoing partnership include robust Australian engineering to efficiently and sustainably suit local conditions, backed by on-the-spot service to maintain system reliability and uptime.
“Service is a winner for us – we are always ready to go out if Adam needs us. We can be there within the day if the system needs maintenance to sustain the best use of water to optimise growth in particular areas.
“We are on the spot too if the unexpected happens, such as the high winds out there tipping or breaking any components, which is always a possibility.
“The value of good service doesn’t stop with the initial purchase and installation, important though that is, but it extends for years throughout the lifespan of the system. Good service and good availability of system components, deliver value right down the line in terms of uptime, upgrades, extended lifespans and customer satisfaction.”
