VALLEY, Neb. (Nov 7, 2017) — The innovative design of the Valley_® X-Tec™ advanced center drive from Valley Irrigation has received national recognition in the form of a prestigious AE50 award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE).

AE50 awards honor the year’s most innovative designs in engineering products or systems for the food and agriculture industries. The Valley X-Tec will be featured in the January/February 2018 special issue of ASABE’s magazine Resource: Engineering & Technology for a Sustainable World.

The Valley X-Tec is a new DC drive and motor for center pivot irrigation machines. It provides full torque power at any speed, and allows the pivot to move twice as fast as a standard, high-speed center drive motor, providing greater flexibility and control to growers. The patented alignment technology and DC motor provide constant movement for consistent application of water and chemicals, while maintaining consistent machine alignment over varying terrain.

“Our goal is to help our growers become more efficient and increase crop yields,” says Valley product manager Christopher Righter. “Growers have seen great benefits from the new X-Tec drive with healthier crops enabled by the improved speed and control that Valley FastPass™ technology delivers. Earning the AE50 award is a great honor that shows our product development teams have done great work that benefits our customers. We’re very proud.”

Companies from around the world submit entries to the annual AE50 competition, and up to 50 of the best products are chosen by a panel of international engineering experts. The judges select innovative products that will best advance engineering for the food and agriculture industries.

The AE50 awards program emphasizes the role of new products and systems in bringing advanced technology to the marketplace. These engineering developments help farmers, food processors and equipment manufacturers increase efficiency, enhance quality, improve safety, and increase profits.