Economic Feasibility of Converting Center Pivot Irrigation to Subsurface Drip Irrigation

Advancements in irrigation technology have increased water use efficiency. However, producers can be reluctant to convert to a more efficient irrigation system when the initial investment costs are high. This study examines the economic feasibility of replacing low energy precision application (LEPA) center pivot sprinkler irrigation with subsurface drip irrigation (SDI). Specifically, the changes in net investment, variable costs, and total costs related to the conversion of irrigation systems are estimated. Then, these costs are used to evaluate the necessary increase in crop yields with a SDI system under alternative crop scenarios for conversion to be economically feasible.