Chemigation is a proven method to improve your operation's efficiency.
After 30 years of use on farms across America, chemigation has proven itself time and again. Experience and research over those three decades makes it clear that the method is an efficient and effective crop management tool.
The widespread acceptance of chemigation - and the cost savings it produces - are no surprise to us at Agri-Inject.
After all, we've been the leader in chemigation technology and equipment for more than a decade.
As you look at the potential benefits of using chemigation in your operation, you can find the information you need from the world leader in fluid application technology - Agri-Inject.
Q: "Just what is chemigation?"
A: Chemigation is a method of applying agricultural chemicals and fertilizers through the irrigation system - using the water to distribute the product.
Q: "What kinds of products can be applied using chemigation?"
A: Virtually all common agricultural products can be applied using the chemigation method - fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, nematicides, wetting agents or growth regulators.
Q: "Do I need a certain kind of irrigation system to chemigate?"
A: Agri-Inject recommends sprinkler type irrigation systems for chemigation. These can include center pivot, linear move, solid set or other sprinkler systems. Sprinkler systems accommodate both soil- and foliar-applied chemicals, and provide good uniformity of application. For all practical purposes, effective chemigation relies on the use of center pivot irrigation equipment for best results. Less effective chemigation is also possible with drip/trickle, flood, furrow, and subsurface systems.
Q: "Do I need a certain kind of sprinkler package?"
A: No. Chemigation is effective with any sprinkler package in common use today, including impact and 360-degree spray.
Q: "How common is chemigation?"
A: Chemigation is one of the fastest growing crop management practices in the world. During the past five years, the use of chemigation has increased 700% - and it's still growing.
Q: "Isn't chemigation useful only for a few crops?"
A: Not at all. Agri-Inject chemigation systems have been useed with great success for many different crops; alfalfa, dry beans, canola, potatoes, corn, cotton, peanuts, soybeans, and wheat, to name just a few. Chemigation systems are also being used for turf grass applications on golf courses, turf farms, and in residential settings.
Q: "I thought chemigation was only used in a few regions."
A: Chemigation is used all across the country and around the world. At Agri-Inject, we have seen our chemigation systems used from Texas to Illinois, from Nebraska to Washington - in Florida, Maine, California, Canada, Mexico - even Saudi Arabia. As the use of center pivot irrigation systems increases around the world, we are seeing considerable interest in chemigation in foreign lands, as well.
Q: "Is chemigation cost effective when compared to traditional application methods?"
A: Absolutely! Chemigation can be a very profitable alternative to aerial or ground rig application depending upon the type and amount of use. Studies have indicated that the annual cost of chemigation ranges from 34% to 60% of aerial or ground application - and decreases significantly as the number of applications increases during the year. In the chart below, you can see that the cost-per-acre for chemigation is considerably less than conventional application - primarily due to the reduced amount of chemical required and the basic application cost.
| Chemigation vs. Conventional Application | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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= Chemigation |
= Conventional Application @ $3.50/Acre |
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| Cost savings in application and chemicals make chemigation a cost-effective alternative to traditional methods. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The following chart shows a comparison of chemigation vs. typical aerial application costs. As you can see in this situation, chemigation cost-per-acre is considerably less.
| Chemigation vs. Aerial Application | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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= Chemigation |
= Aerial Application |
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| Even when compared to the costs of aerial application, chemigation comes out ahead. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Q: "Does chemigation save on chemical costs?"
A: Based on university tests and field trials, the amount of chemicals can be dramatically reduced when chemigation is used. on some crops, chemical use has been reduced by the following amounts without reducing yields:
| Nitrogen | 40% to 5% |
| Insecticides | 50% to 20% |
| Herbicides | 20% to 5% |
Tests indicate increased effectiveness of the chemicals applied through chemigation over standard application procedures - even when smaller amounts of chemicals are applied. This makes good economic and ecological sense.
Q: "Are there other cost savings with chemigation?"
A: In addition to savings in application and chemical costs, there are other significant savings with chemigation. You make fewer trips through the field - reducing energy consumption, equipment wear and operator hours. You also reduce soil compaction. Additionally, incorporation is often achieved "free of charge." Some herbicides and nematicides can be incorporated as part of the chemigation process by applying the correct rate of water.
Q: What is the economic payback on a chemigation system?"
A: While the payback period on a chemigation system will vary according to your application methods, the fact is that the more applications you make, the quicker your system pays for itself. With other forms of application, you simply keep spending money.
Here's a sample of the economic impact of chemigation compared to conventional application. At a conventional application cost of $3.00 per acre, a chemigation system (estimated at $4,080) pays for itself in less than nine applications. When the per-acre cost is $4.00, the chemigation system is paid for in about five applications - while the investment in conventional application continues to climb.
Q: "What makes chemigation safer than conventional methods?"
A: The highest risk of chemical exposure to the operator or the environment occurs during tank mixing. Chemigation eliminates much of the tank mixing that is necessary for crop management. With chemigation, chemicals need only be handled once per field. Compare that to the multiple risk of spills and exposure associated with filling a spray tank every 15 acres or so.
Q: "Does chemigation use less chemical product?"
A: Yes. Numerous chemigation trials have proven that pesticide rates can be reduced without reducing the effectiveness. Chemigation reduces human and wildlife toxicity as well, because the chemicals are diluted to a much greater extent. Aerial application concentrates the chemical in one to two gallons of water per acre, where chemigation is applying the same amount of chemical in up to 10,000 gallons of water per acre. Any drift to non-target areas has less toxic potential, and the chemical is more safely introduced into the environment.
Q: "Are there special requirements for producers who chemigate?"
A: Since chemigation has become a widely accepted management practice, most states, federal regulators, and foreign governments have developed guidelines for producers to be certified or licensed prior to chemigating. Typically, this will involve some education on proper equipment set-up and operation, chemical handling procedures, and other information. You should also use common sense safety equipment such as goggles and chemical-resistant gloves when handling material. Check with your state officials to discover the regulations regarding chemigation in your area.