Why do some people run boom backs?
Boom backs are one way to minimise problems associated with wheel rutting and bogging. Boombacks suspend 3 or 4 sprinklers 3-6m behind machine towers, minimising tower interception of water and reducing the potential for wheel rutting and bogging. Whilst boombacks are used around towers, offset booms can be used along a span to assist with sprinkler irrigation. Offset booms may be used to suspend sprinklers before and after a span where AAR is very high and soil infiltration rate is very low (such as the outer span of a very large pivot). This increases the number of sprinklers, reducing the flow rate per sprinkler and decreasing the AAR. In this situation booms are not used in front of wheel tracks.
