OptiSurface Landforming Software

OptiSurface Newsletter – 2016 July

Welcome to the sixth OptiSurface Newsletter.

If you can’t see any images below, click ‘Display images below’ or similar in your email software.
Our News shows new users of OptiSurface around the world.

The Design Of The Month shows an OptiSurface 2Way design to solve ponding problems created by controlled traffic.

The Feature Of The Month explains how to use the Drainage Analysis feature.

If you have any questions or problems that we may help you solve or if you have any questions at all, feel free to reply to this email or call me on +61 405-686-425 (Australia) or Preston on +1 870-340-2020 (USA).
Regards
Graeme Cox & The OptiSurface Team
DAVCO OptiSurface
Mobile: +61 405 686 425  Skype: graemejcox
Web: www.optisurface.com    News: www.twitter.com/OptiSurface
“Celebrating 500,000 Acres Of Optimized Agricultural Earthworks”

P.S. If you haven’t taken advantage of OptiSurface yet, we’re offering a special service where we will take your topographic data for a field and conduct some FREE analysis and design.  Go here to find out more: http://www.optisurface.com/nlt/

News Of The Month

From our Twitter and Facebook feeds.

OptiSurface in New Zealand
From 
Looks like prime case for @OptiSurface precision surface drainage design. Minimal earth movement for max effect
Optimizing drainage in the Netherlands using OptiSurface.

Design Of The Month

OptiSurface 2Way for Mini-furrows from Controlled Traffic

This field typically grows corn and beans. There are some large depressions causing drainage problems but mini furrows are also created by the planter. These mini furrows impedes water movement and produce minor ponding issues that do reduce yield in wet years.

OptiSurface 2Way was used and furrow direction was changed to go E-W reducing the earthworks.  Ridges and valleys (cross drain) were added to direct water flow.

Earthworks ended up at 96 yd3/ac.

Existing Topography
Proposed Topography

Feature Of The Month

Drainage Analysis (Proposed)
Overview:  The Drainage Analysis functionality allows you to calculate various useful drainage characteristics such as:

  • Ponding Depth Map,
  • Flow Paths

This analysis assumes enough rainfall occurs to overflow all depressions in the field.  Ponding is the water that cannot drain away by flowing along the ground surface, so it needs to infiltrate or evaporate to be removed.

Displayed by:
Menu: Tools > Drainage Analysis

Appearance:

Topography

Surface:  Select the surface the calculation will be based:  Existing Surface or Proposed Surface

Calculation Grid:  The cell spacing of the grid that the drainage analysis is calculated on. 10m or 30ft is a typical useful value.

Furrows or Beds

Furrow or Beds Restrict Water Flow Direction:  If furrows or beds exist tick this ON.

Furrow/Beds Height (m):  The height of the intended furrows in the field.  The water will build up any depressions and then spill across the furrow.  The Ponding Depth Map shows water depths in the furrows, not on the beds.

Furrow/Beds Bearing (deg):  The direction of the furrows relative to North.  Use the ‘Pick’ button to click two points to define the direction or type a number in.  Currently, only straight furrows/beds are handled.

Cost Analysis

Typical Gross Income ($/ha/yr or $/ac/yr):  Insert the gross income per hectare (or per acre) per year.

Loss in Ponded Areas (%):  The loss of crop yield in the areas that pond water in an average year from water logging, weeds and disease.

Loss in Non-Ponded Areas (%):  This is to account the losses in timeliness of operations; i.e. planting, spraying and harversting can be delayed waiting for ponded areas to dry out.  That waiting reduced the yield for the rest of the field.  This loss in production is often overlooked but it can be quite significant.

Classifieds

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DAVCO OptiSurface Pty Ltd, 86 CRESTWOOD DR, MOLENDINAR Queensland 4214, Australia — Unsubscribe