center-pivot irrigation

American  

[sen-ter-piv-uht] / ˈsɛn tərˌpɪv ət /

noun

1. a method of irrigation, used mainly in the western U.S., in which water is dispersed through a long, segmented arm that revolves about a deep well and covers a circular area from a quarter of a mile to a mile in diameter.

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Etymology

Origin of center-pivot irrigation

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

center-pivot irrigation

Larson said he expects the focus to be on requiring more efficient water use, such as shifting away from flood irrigation toward drip and center-pivot irrigation systems.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2022

Amid rows of leafy green corn, a long center-pivot irrigation system is perched like a giant skeletal pterodactyl with its wings outstretched.

From New York Times ● Jun. 24, 2022

The overturned 150-foot-long section of a center-pivot irrigation arm, wheels pointing skyward in a dead armadillo pose, was beyond hope.

From New York Times ● Oct. 19, 2018

In an exceptional 2002 growing season, cotton under center-pivot irrigation on Johnson's farm yielded 2 bales per acre, while cotton watered by drip on the same farm yielded over 3 bales per acre.

From Time Magazine Archive

Bill Buckman, a third-generation Lubbock farmer, says that energy savings and increased crop yields paid for his water- efficient, center-pivot irrigation system within a year.

From Time Magazine Archive