University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

June 30, 2006

How much will diesel price increases affect irrigation costs

Question. Diesel prices have increased from about $1.65 in June 2005 to $2.45 or more in June 2006. What effect will this have on the cost of pumping irrigation water?

An acre-inch is the volume of water needed to cover an acre one inch deep or 27,154 gallons.
Answer. The cost to pump water depends on the total head the pump must produce to deliver the water and the volume of water pumped. The total head has two components. The lift component is the distance the pump must lift the water from the water level in the well to the pump discharge. The second component of head is the system pressure, measured at the pump. The greater the head produced, the greater the cost per acre-inch of water delivered. The greater the volume of water pumped (acre-inches), the greater the cost per acre. The table below presents several scenarios that represent the effect that the increased cost of diesel has had on typical irrigation situations in Nebraska.

Tom Dorn
Extension Educator, Lancaster County


Increased irrigation fuel cost for a $0.80 per gallon increase in diesel price.
 
Irrigation System
Typical of location in Nebraska
Lift, feet
Pressure, PSI
Application Depth, inches
Fuel Cost per acre at $1.65/gal
Fuel Cost per acre at $2.45/gal
Increased fuel cost $/acre
Pivot Eastern 125
35
12
$37.05
$55.02
$17.97
  
Pivot Northeast 150
40
12
$43.63
$64.79
$21.16
Pivot Northeast 150
65
12
$54.03
$80.23
$26.20
Pivot Central 150
40
16
$58.18
$86.40
$28.22
Pivot Western 175
40
18
$72.20
$107.22
$35.02
Gated Pipe Eastern 125
10
15
$33.32
$49.48
$16.16
Gated Pipe Central 150
10
20
$52.93
$78.60
$25.67
Gated Pipe Platte Valley 40
10
22
$20.82
$30.92
$10.10
Gated Pipe Western 150
10
22
$57.12
$84.82
$27.70

2 Irrigation costs were calculated using Irrigcost, an ExcelŽ worksheet written by Tom Dorn, Extension Educator, which assumes the pumping plant is operating at the Nebraska Pumping Plant Performance Criteria. Irrigcost can be downloaded free from the Web at:  http://lancaster.unl.edu/ag/crops/irrigate.htm.

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Copyright 2006 by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. All rights reserved.
Published by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperating with the counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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