Kees Weyns may be young, but he definitely knows his way around the farm. Now 38, he’s been farming since he was 14 and he definitely knows what kind of equipment he wants to use.
His parents moved to the Othello, Wash., area in the 1960s and began farming his grandparents’ land. Today, Weyns, his parents and his brother grow potatoes, wheat, sweet corn, feed corn, onions and grapes. The family clearly understands the benefits of center pivot irrigation and has used Nelson® Rotator® technology since its inception because it is reliable and long-lasting. Weyns is a big fan of the Brown Plate Rotator’s wide irrigation pattern with minimal runoff.
He says his Valley dealer, LAD Irrigation, and Nelson Irrigation are focused on providing the products that are best for his field conditions.
“We’re in a unique region with different soil types not very far apart and different climatic conditions,” Weyns said. “It’s important to know what’s right for the area.”
Dick Schisler, Nelson Irrigation’s original equipment manufacturer manager, spends a great deal of time in the area with growers and dealers. This is prime testing ground for new products, including the 3030 Series Pivot Sprinklers that has Weyns intrigued.
3030 Series Pivot Sprinklers Offer Greater Flexibility
At the heart of the 3030 Series is the new, multi-function, side-load 3NV Nozzle that turns a great sprinkler into a highly effective farm management device. The 3NV Nozzle can act as an integral shut-off valve, turning off selected irrigation sprinklers much more economically and reliably than a ball valve.
In tough agricultural conditions, growers spend considerable time managing their water application devices. N ozzles can get plugged with debris and have to be removed for cleaning. The 3NV N ozzle system allows a grower to simply push and turn the nozzle between on, off, nozzle flush and line flush positions to remove debris without removing the nozzle.
“The new 3030 product is appealing,” Weyns says. “I definitely see the advantages in the flushing modes; however, I’m most interested in the ability to turn sprinklers off. Sometimes we’ll run into situations where we’re chemigating and we don’t want to get too close to a neighbor’s crop. Now we can turn sprinklers off at the end of the machine. It’s also good for wheel tracks where we’re seeing a little runoff during certain periods.”
The Weyns currently have three machines equipped with the 3030 Series and 3NV Nozzle, and eventually they’ll switch their other machines, too.
“Anytime we get on a rented piece of ground and things aren’t quite up to snuff – one of the first things we do is overhaul a sprinkler package. Or, at least look at the age of it, especially on high-value crops,” Weyns explains. “Since using Nelson products, my fields are more even and hopefully that turns into a better bottom line.”
Weyns believes in replacing a nozzle package and updating regulators earlier rather than later to ensure even water application. For him, Nelson products mean water conservation and maximizing yield and grade.
“In my experience, Nelson is all ears when it comes to listening to the industry and does a pretty good job of keeping with the times and offering new product for varying situations,” he says. “What I hear is that if there is a way to make products work better, Nelson will certainly figure it out!”
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