Why do they make circular crop fields in Saudi Arabia? During your travels in the northern regions of Saudi Arabia, you may have seen some green circles on Google Maps and pondered what exactly these green circles represent. One of the nations that use the Center Pivot irrigation method is Saudi Arabia.
The usage of center pivot irrigation throughout the nation is mostly responsible for the appearance of the rounded crop patterns that can be seen on the map. On the maps of the nations that use this kind of agricultural irrigation, you will see that the crop fields are arranged in concentric circles.
Irrigation in the Center of a Pivot What is this?
A variety of sprinklers are used in the operation of the center pivot irrigation system, which revolves around a central point. Because of this, the irrigated land appears as a green circle, and the presence of circular agricultural fields is indicative of the presence of an irrigation system.
The Boeing company is credited with developing this form of irrigation system, which makes use of powerful water pumps that are able to pump water over a distance of up to 5 miles in a circular radius. A circle has a circumference of about 3.5 kilometers.
What kind of applications can you find for center pivot irrigation in Saudi Arabia?
In Saudi Arabia, the Center Pivot Irrigation method is now being implemented at a variety of projects throughout the country’s desert and hyper-arid areas.
The fossilized, nonrenewable water that is located one kilometer below the surface is mined and piped to the surface in order to irrigate the crops using a center pivot irrigation system. This kind of irrigation method is used in a variety of areas, including wheat and alfalfa, amongst others.
The engineers are the ones who decide which route the water will take through the project. The river routes that have been buried at this point by the sand seas are mapped out by the engineers. However, due to the fact that reservoirs in Saudi Arabia have been depleted, the productivity of such irrigational projects is constrained.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched a variety of different projects to support the expansion of the agriculture industry. The construction of desalination facilities is almost finished, and fresh water drawn from the ocean is already being put to use to meet the requirements of urban and industrial uses. Dams are now being constructed with the intention of storing the water that results from the recurring floods.
Nevertheless, one of the troubling aspects is that Saudi Arabia is experiencing a water shortage situation. This is one of the frightening things. Aquifers and subsurface water sources are becoming more scarce as time passes.
Due to this situation, Saudi Arabia has been forced to purchase costly agricultural land in other nations. The most recent data suggests that Saudi Arabia has taken the lead among other nations in terms of the amount of agricultural land it purchases in other countries.