David Müller’s family has farmed in the northern cape of South Africa since 1890. Irrigation Insights alerted him to plugged sprinklers that could have saved 3-5 tons per hectare.
According to David, irrigation is the most important factor contributing to the success of his farm. That’s why he invested in this agriculture technology. But It’s easy to get distracted and forget to check your pivots when many other things are happening on the farm. That might be a costly mistake!
Last March, he received an SMS notification from Irrigation Insights that there were irregular growth spans on one field between the center tower and the second tower. “When I received the notification, I didn’t pay too much attention,” said David. “We were running around attending to all of the matters at hand. To my regret, I forgot about the notification.”
Towards the end of the season, once harvest started, the yield monitor showed that yield was down in that area quite clearly. David went back to his phone and realized that Irrigation Insights had indeed alerted him to this problem. “I should have paid attention the moment I’ve received that notification. Sitting in the combiner, I was calculating the lost in income based on that notification. On the three hectares affected, I lost between three to five tons per hectare, compared to the average of the field.” Multiplied by a silo price of 4,500. David’s estimated loss was roughly around 60,000 rand.
When asked why David recommends Irrigation Insights to other growers, “It’s easy to use. It’s cost-effective, and it can save you a lot of money by identifying issues in irrigation so you can fix them quickly.” His advice for other growers already using Irrigation Insights: “Pay attention.”