Circles in the US

[TSR2]

Some of our cousins across the pond may know this one. When flying in the US, I've notice a lot of "fields" are circular... a lot of them! Do any of you guys know the background to the circular fields or is it a scenery oddity in MSFS?

Thanks

[Tako_Kichi]

They are real and are that way for irrigation purposes. In the middle of each circle is a standpipe which has a rotating boom attached to it. Water from the standpipe is fed along the boom to spay heads which then irrigate the crops below. Originally the entire device was powered by the water as it drove the wheels of the rig as well as watering the plants but modern rigs tend to use solar powered electric motors on the wheeled supports with a computer keeping everything aligned.

See this reference for more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center-pivot_irrigation

[TSR2]

Thas fantastic! I had no idea. Always thought it was a bit peculiar and been meaning to ask for years. Thanks very much

[mgchristy]

I still remember my first transcon airliner flight as a child and being mesmerized by the seemingly endless 'crop circles' across the vast Midwest and plains states. This was before the internet, so I was left to my own vivid imagination as to their origins...before eventually being given the more plebian explanation by a relative once back on the ground. I still prefer my original otherwordly theory!

[emfrat]

You find them everywhere
https://www.aip.net.nz/assets/AIP/Aerod ... U/NZPU.pdf

MikeW

[johnhinson]

What a lovely name that airfield has!

Here in the UK we only use the name "Crop Circle" for nefarious activities supposedly carried out by beings from other planets:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_circle

Our huge field irrigators are more inclined to go up and down in straight lines for some reason.

John

[blanston12]

I think the crop circles in the US are more useful when you have a lot more flat land than water, very efficient use of water and labour as long as you don't mind missing out on the crops you could have grown in the corners.

[Tako_Kichi]

I think the crop circles in the US are more useful when you have a lot more flat land than water, very efficient use of water and labour as long as you don't mind missing out on the crops you could have grown in the corners.

Actually if you look at the end of that wiki page I linked to it appears that 60+ years of use are now actually seriously depleting the underground aquifers and leading to water shortages in some places. Greedy farmers are planting crops more densely and growing much thirstier crops which is creating more demand than available supply!

[johnhinson]

Actually if you look at the end of that wiki page I linked to it appears that 60+ years of use are now actually seriously depleting the underground aquifers and leading to water shortages in some places. Greedy farmers are planting crops more densely and growing much thirstier crops which is creating more demand than available supply!

Nothing new there. Everybody wants to save the planet except when it affects them personally . . .

Here in the UK we export our industry. In this one example, we pay the farmers to produce less, and then import food complete with huge carbon footprints at prices many can't afford.

Me a cynic? Pffff.

J

[dfarrow]

TSR , have seen them from high up over Saudi , really strange seeing green circles in the middle of desert .
MikeW , thx for that , our son live 5 miles from Pukekohe . I'll go and look next were out in NZ .

rgds dave f.