Agriculture has always been the spearhead of the economic development of many countries.
Farmers and scientists have found a lot of planting methods as well as improving the planting process in the agricultural sector to increase productivity and enhance the economic value of agricultural products.
In recent times, farmers have developed circular planting methods in farming, so the question is, why do farmers farm in circles?
If you are interested, keep scrolling down this article to see our explanations.
Why Do Farmers Farm In Circles?
The reason why farmers farm in circles is probably for center-pivot irrigation.
In order to make it work, farmers plant trees (or other vegetation) into circular patterns and there will be an overhead sprinkler that rotates around the center of the circle. This technique is also called “farm crop circle”.
The idea of crop circles has become popular after the post-World War II era as it greatly changed the process of American food production.
In fact, the system of center pivot irrigation helps the drylands such as plains turn into a healthy subterranean ecosystem that can plant crops like corn and so on.
Agricultural development is equivalent to exploiting natural resources such as land, water, …
In order to maximize profits, people have used many ways such as increasing the number of labor or using chemicals to stimulate the growth of plants.
At the same time, these methods have negative effects on natural resources and contribute to serious environmental pollution.
The farm crop circle method has significantly improved the agricultural economy, helping farmers reduce the labor force and increase the productivity of agricultural products.
What Is Center Pivot Irrigation?
The circular fields are always associated with the method of irrigation called Center pivot irrigation.
It is a popular technique that several farms have been using recently. Center pivot irrigation is a kind of irrigation that uses sprinklers to water plants overhead in a circle.
The farmers use a machine consisting of several segments of pipe with sprinklers above the pipe length. The machine moves in a circle by using its wheels and it sprays water from the pivot to the plants.
The special thing about this is that the water can reach from the center to the edge of the circle so that all the plants can be watered equally.
A common center pivot’s length is typically less than 500 meters, combined with a suitable size of a 400 meters crop circle.
A typical 400 meters radius crop circle covers about 125 acres of land. Center-pivot irrigation systems increase water efficiency and optimize farm productivity.
These systems are highly effective in large fields.
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What Are The Benefits Of Center Pivot Irrigation?
Center pivot irrigation needs fewer workers than any other irrigation method. Hence, it costs less money to pay for labor than ground irrigation techniques, which need a huge number of workers for canal digging.
In addition, center pivot irrigation can minimize soil erosion and water overflow that occur when watering the ground.
Less soiling also helps more organic materials decompose back into the soil. With that, the soil would have more nutrition for plants to grow up.
What Are The Advantages Of Farming In Circles?
Building sustainable agriculture
Crop circle farming uses less than 90% water and less than 10% of the land. From that, it can enhance soil health, minimize water use, and provide a food-safe growing environment for produce.
Protecting agricultural products
Crop circle farming can eliminate the potential for damage caused by pests or diseases and prevent weed growth, building a suitable environment for plants to grow completely.
Improving agricultural products
Crop circle farming helps build up soil that contains natural nutrients year after year and increases the growth rate of the plant. It is also configured to grow any crops including grains, vegetables, and fruits.
See more: Are Farmers Rich In Australia?
Conclusion
Thanks to the development of technology in agriculture, farmers have remarkably improved the farming process as well as ensuring the quality of agricultural products.
Applying circle crop farming as well as center pivot irrigation to agricultural production is one of the most effective methods to increase agricultural productivity.
At the same time, this is also a solution to the problem of environmental pollution that farmers should consider using.
However, there are many different cultivation methods, so depending on the purpose of production and the type of crop, farmers can choose the appropriate method to apply in the cultivation process.