What are those circular crops I see from the plane?
 

When flying over the midwest or southwest, I often see large green circles, sometimes in big bunches. I figure they must be a crop of some kind, but what? And why are they planted in circles? Does it have to do with irrigation? On my last trip I saw some were being harvested in pie-shaped sections. I'm counting on Fodorites to solve the mystery. Thanks.

Yes, it has a lot to do with irrigation. An irrigated field often has a "center pivot" system, which creates a circular area that is irrigated. One of the most common crops to use this system is sorghum, and cotton farmers also use it, too.

Signs?
:)

I can picture them so clearly...Texas Panhandle. The man behind us on a Southwest flight asked the FA if they were crop circles. :) As Christie said, the crops are planted that way for the type of irrigation system they use.

Well, I prefer to think of them as Signs..irrigation is so ordinary :D

Are we sure the farmer didn't just have to much wine and drive his tractor around and around?

In actual fact they are the mating grounds for celestial beings. This strange ritual ( although seldom seen ) takes place only once, every four billion years. NOT as stated above...

Thank you !! software ~ I knew it! :D

I hope this helps scarlett....

Aaah...we were so lucky to have seen it then!! :-O)))

It is also sometimes alfalfa hay for cattle.

Thanks, I was wondering the same thing. They seem so perfect and equal in size. I saw many landing in Oklahoma. I also saw some wanna-be crop circles over Denver. Looks like someone was trying a hoax and couldn't do it.

The watering device is a long pole on wheels that attaches to a secured water line. The pole goes in a circle pattern when the water is turned on. The big round hay bales are almost too small to see from 29,000 feet.

Anything you'd care to add, Mel? Mel?

That's my backyard your looking at. I'm signaling the mother ship.


----XXXXXXXXXXXX----
---XXX-------XXXX---
--XXX----------XXX--
-XXX------------XXX-
--XXX----------XXX--
---XXX--------XXX---
----XXX------XXX----
----XXXXXXXXXXXX----

Nah, you all haven't seen these circles from the proper altitude. In actuality, these circles are pixels in a much larger image that you can only see from a much higher altitude. If you were up that high, say, in space, you would clearly see the arrow pointed upward and the text "I'm with stupid" scrawled across the lower midwest.

(FYI: Before someone flames me, just want to say that that was just an attempt at clever humor... no real offense intended to our Canadian neighbors)

Blenroth, I thought it was funny.

At a certain point in time, over a certain state, at a certain elevation, I could have sworn I saw a crop that was in the shape of a monkey.

believe it . . . or not.

I thought they were Cheerio's farms. :-)

Here ya go....

http://edition.cnn.com/2003/US/West/....ap/index.html