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Travelling big gun

Field irrigation (travelling big gun)

Field irrigation (travelling big gun)
Image Credit: Birse, N. (2010)

The travelling big gun system uses a large-capacity nozzle and high pressure to throw water out over the crop as it is pulled through an alley in the field. Travelling big guns come in two main configurations: hard-hose or flexible-hose feed. With the hard-hose system, a hard polyethylene hose is wrapped on a reel mounted on a trailer. The trailer is anchored at the end or center of the field. The gun is connected to the end of the hose and is pulled towards the trailer. The gun is pulled across the field by the hose winding up on the reel. With the flexible-hose system, the gun is mounted on a four-wheel cart. Water is supplied to the gun by a flexible hose from the main line. A winch cable on the cart pulls the cart through the field. Most traveling big gun systems have their own power unit. The power unit may be an internal combustion engine or a water drive. The travelling big guns are particularly adaptable to various crop heights, variable travel speeds, odd-shaped fields and rough terrain, the big gun requires a moderate initial investment, more labor and higher operating pressures than center pivots and linear moves. (Scherer 2010)