Let's Go Gliding with the SSA

On Wednesday, May 30, 2012 9:36:02 AM UTC-7, C-FFKQ (42) wrote:
On Tuesday, May 29, 2012 4:33:09 PM UTC-4, Frank Whiteley wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeOKjjaMCP0

Dumb question for today:
At around 2 minutes, there are rectangular fields with green circles... why are the crops planted in circles instead of using the full field?

-John (who's only ever seen crops filling the field area)

They are round because the irrigation sprinklers roll around in circles. As with many types of fields well worth walking and looking at and talking a farmer about these - including how to stop the irrigator should it be about to roll over your glider. Depending on the crop, crop height and surface it may be better to land in the corners, especially to avoid deep ruts from the irrigator wheels. With crops like a short alfalfa the round surface can be billiard table smooth (if you miss the ruts).

Darryl