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How did lightweight aluminum pipes increase the use of sprinkler irrigation after World War II?
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Agricultural technology
Cotton combine harvesting a cotton field.
The development of lightweight aluminum pipe was a pivotal advancement that significantly increased the use of sprinkler irrigation following World War II.1
Prior to this innovation, sprinkler systems were already in use, but the introduction of aluminum pipingācombined with the development of quick couplersātransformed the practicality of these systems. Because the aluminum was lightweight, the pipes could be moved across a field easily and quickly from one location to another. This portability allowed farmers to manage their water distribution more efficiently and flexibly, making sprinkler irrigation a much more viable and widely adopted method for supplemental irrigation in the post-war era.1