For more than 50 years, Lindsay has been a pioneer provider of irrigation and water management solutions. From the strength and durability of Zimmatic pivot systems to the intelligence and advanced technology of FieldNET, the full portfolio of industry-leading products and services helps conserve resources, increase yields and benefis growers worldwide.
- This article appears in the July 2021 issue of Potato Grower.
In 1955, Lindsay founder Paul Zimmerer, began a farm equipment business in Lindsay, Neb., with the first successful irrigation towline for rough field terrain. In the 1960s, Paul’s sons, Art and Bernard, designed and built the first Zimmatic brand center pivot, which officially went to work in 1969. Unlike other pivots at the time, it was an electric-drive system specifically designed to negotiate hilly terrain—earning it the nickname the “hill climber.”
Today, Zimmatic systems irrigate millions of acres on six continents. Many of the original center pivot systems are still in operation—proof of their durable, quality construction and intelligent design.
Lindsay has a goal to help growers save more than 700 billion gallons of water and more than 1 billion kilowatt-hours of energy by the year 2022 by equipping them with tools, data and insights to run their irrigation systems with precision to conserve resources. This is all made possible with FieldNET. Launched in 2006, FieldNET is the award-winning industry leader in complete remote management of irrigation systems. It gives growers the ability to view and control their irrigation systems from the palms of their hands, from anywhere, at any time.
FieldNET Advisor, the world’s first fully automated, cloud-based irrigation scheduling solution, launched in 2017. With this award-winning solution, growers receive continuously updated, field-specific irrigation recommendations, so they know precisely when, where and how much to irrigate.
In 2020, Lindsay introduced the world’s first smart pivot. This is an industry first that combines agronomic capabilities with state-of-the-art machine health features to provide real-time, 360-degree crop health and operational data throughout the growing season. The smart pivot will help growers make the most of limited resources and help sustain their operations for generations to come.
Charling said the future Zimmatic pivot will collect large amounts of data, like images from a camera, and analyze them for very specific issues, such as a bug or disease spot on a leaf. The more data the software analyzes, the better it gets at identifying potential problems.
“We expect growers will continuously need to get more out of their equipment, so they can overcome their unique challenges and protect their operations for generations to come.” says Marcuzzo. “We’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, driving the innovations that will give them a competitive advantage today and in the future.” In November 2020, Lindsay introduced the world’s first smart pivot, a groundbreaking innovation that moves beyond traditional water application and management to provide real-time, 360-degree crop health and operational support throughout the growing season.
“People may not realize it, but AI and machine learning are the driving forces in a lot of the tools we use every day that make our lives easier,” Charling says. “Using this technology, search engines can better predict what information you’re looking for, banks can accept deposits from smart phones, and much, much more. At Lindsay, we’re tapping into the power of AI and machine learning to help growers around the world maximize efficiency and productivity while conserving limited resources.”
