Mr. Atkins began his lecture by introducing us to the many forms of irrigation, including: center pivots, drip line irrigation, and the traveling gun. We learned how the center pivot is actually THE most efficient method of irrigation, as well as a very important lesson, that is to NEVER park under the wheel track (as one of his interns did)! Mr. Atkins preceded to show us many different charts and graphs, followed by an interesting sheet of facts. 1 million gallons of water actually equals each of these: 10 household’s annual uses of water, 1.5 olympic swimming pools, usage on 100 acres of corn in on day of pollination, and 166 tractor loads. Thus, 1.5 olympic swimming pools are used each day during a season of pollination on just one type of crop! That is astounding not just in the quantity, but also the quality! Irrigation is not cheap, and thus maximizing the water usage while minimizing wasting water is crucial to the agricultural business. Lastly, Mr. Atkins touched on variable rate irrigation (VRI). This is the focal point of the center pivot irrigation. Different parts of the country contain different soils, and some crops grow in better areas then others. Also, within a specific plot of crops, certain areas of the soil may grow more than others and/or require less water for the same yield. Thus, variable rate irrigation is just as it sounds: the water rate is adjusted to more or less depending on the area being watered at the time of irrigation. Ultimately, Mr. Atkins opened my eyes to just how much of a science watering one’s crops truly is. This is no small task, and water is certainly of high value in the business, not being sprayed about sporadically.