Design Of An Irrigation System For Agricultural Purposes In Off Grid Areas

ABSTRACT

The objective of this paper was to study the irrigation system of Nigeria and to identify the most common irrigation methods used for safe, efficient and sustainable agricultural production in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Nigeria is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and characterized by desert and semi-desert climatic conditions such as states in northern part of Nigeria like sokoto where rainfall always scarce. Major constraints of the country include: Frequent droughts, desertification of agricultural land, rapid urbanization, depleting resources: technological uncertainty and high cost of non-conventional sources, degradation of water quality and increased water scarcity. Among these constrains, water scarcity is the primary limiting factor in northern part agriculture while those states depends on irrigation. The main water source for agriculture is pressure drip irrigation systems. Drip irrigation has the highest water efficiency rate in agriculture, reaching a 70 to 80% rate, versus open irrigation, which achieves 40%. Recycled use of water, waste water, adding nutrients mixed in with the water and desalination are the recent new innovation used to solve problem of water scarcity in Israel. Therefore, technology currently innovated to alleviate problem of irrigation water resources by Nigeria should have to be adopted in arid and semi arid of the world to increase the productivity.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWELDGEMENT

DEFINITION OF TERMS

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

• AIM OF THE STUDY
• OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
• PROBLEM OF THE STUDY
• IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
• SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
• HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

• REVIEW OF THE RELATED STUDY
• HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
• REVIEW OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF IRRIGATION
• IMPACT OF IRRIGATION SYSTEM ON SOCIETY

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

• IMPACT OF IRRIGATION SYSTEM ON SOCIETY
• SOURCES OF THE DATA
• PERIOD OF THE STUDY
• TECHNIQUES OF ANALYSIS

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS ANALYSIS

• RESULT AND DISCUSSION
• CALCULATION OF WATER BENEFITS

CHAPTER FIVE

• SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
• REFERENCES

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

• Water Withdrawal– The volume of freshwater abstraction from surface or groundwater for an intended purpose. Withdrawal is directly measurable as the quantity of water withdrawn from the source for a particular activity over a specific period of time.
• Water Consumption– The volume of withdrawn water that is evaporated or transpired for an intended purpose.
• Drip Irrigation– Drip irrigation is sometimes called trickle irrigation and involves dripping water onto the soil at very low rates (2-20 litres/hour) from a system of small diameter plastic pipes fitted with
• outlets called emitters or drippers. Water is applied close to plants so that only part of the soil in which the roots grow is wetted (Figure 60), unlike surface and sprinkler irrigation, which involves wetting the whole soil profile. With drip irrigation water, applications are more frequent (usually every 1-3 days) than with other methods and this provides a very favourable high moisture level in the soil in which plants can flourish.[1]
• Flood Irrigation– A group of application techniques involving distribution of water in a field by the gravity flow of water over the soil surface. The soil acts as the medium in which the water is stored and the conveyance medium over which water flows as it spreads and infiltrates. Flood irrigation is characterized by uncontrolled distribution of water.
• Crop Yield– Weight of economically valuable crop that is harvested per unit of harvested area.
• Baseline Activity– Adoption of traditional irrigation practices that are relatively inefficient with water use. Traditional irrigation methods such as flood irrigation typically use gravity to disperse water across the field.
• Project Activity– Implementation of irrigation practices that promote higher irrigation efficiency, thereby reducing water withdrawal volume.
• Sprinkler Irrigation– A method of applying irrigation water which is similar to natural rainfall. Water is distributed through a system of pipes usually by pumping. It is then sprayed into the air through sprinklers so that it breaks up into small water drops before falling to the ground. The pump supply system, sprinklers and operating conditions are typically designed to enable a uniform application of water.[2]
• Basin Hydrological Flow– The characteristic behaviour and total quantity of water involved in a drainage basin. This is determined by measuring such quantities as rainfall, surface and subsurface storage and flow, and evapotranspiration and the impact of project interventions on these factors.
• Return Flow– Quantities of water that are returned to the sources from which they were withdrawn to be made available for other purposes or users (e.g. downstream farmers or wildlife). This could include unused water withdrawn for agricultural purposes that is returned to surface water sources or recharges groundwater aquifers.
• Blue water footprint– Volume of surface and groundwater consumed as a result of the production of a good or service. Consumption refers to the volume of freshwater used and then evaporated/transpired or incorporated into a product. It also includes water abstracted from surface or groundwater in a catchment and returned to another catchment or the sea. It is the amount of water abstracted from groundwater or surface water that does not return to the catchment from which it was withdrawn.[3]
• Green water footprint– Volume of rainwater consumed during the production process. This refers to the total rainwater evapotranspiration (from fields and plantations) plus the water incorporated into the harvested crop.[4]

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                        INTRODUCTION

Irrigation is the application of controlled amounts of water to plants at needed intervals. Irrigation helps to grow agricultural crops, maintain landscapes, and revegetate disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of less than average rainfall. Irrigation also has other uses in crop production, including frost protection,[1] suppressing weed growth in grain fields[2] and preventing soil consolidation.[3] In contrast, agriculture that relies only on direct rainfall is referred to as rain-fed or dry land farming.

Irrigation systems are also used for cooling livestock, dust suppression, disposal of sewage, and in mining. Irrigation is often studied together with drainage, which is the removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area.

Irrigation has been a central feature of agriculture for over 5,000 years and is the product of many cultures. Historically, it was the basis for economies and societies across the globe.

irrigation control system is a device to operate automatic irrigation systems such as lawn sprinklers and drip irrigation systems. Most controllers have a means of setting the frequency of irrigation, the start time, and the duration of watering. Some controllers have additional features such as multiple programs to allow different watering frequencies for different types of plants, rain delay settings, input terminals for sensors such as rain and freeze sensors, soil moisture sensors, weather data, remote operation, etc.

There are two basic types of controllers, electric and hydraulic. Most automatic irrigation valves are diaphragm valves in which the water above the diaphragm must be discharged for the valve to open. In a hydraulic system, the controller and valves are connected via small plastic tubes approximately 4 mm (¼ in) in diameter. The controller opens the tube connected to the valve, allowing that valve to open.

Most newer systems employ electromechanical or electronic controllers. In this scenario, the controller is connected to an electrical circuit that operates a solenoid attached to each valve (solenoid valve). When the solenoid is actuated, the water above the diaphragm is relieved and the valve opens.

Although sophisticated controllers that allow irrigation schedules to be automatically adjusted according to the weather have been available for many years, until recently these controllers were out of reach of the average consumer. One type is evapotranspiration controllers or “ET controllers”. Several manufacturers are now producing controllers that can be automatically updated by either a simple weather sensor, via a pager that receives a daily update from a network of local weather stations, or through soil moisture sensors.[1] Several companies have also introduced products that gathers information from the internet to update the watering schedule.[2]

There are broadly two categories of irrigation controllers: domestic ones for gardening applications, and professional controllers for more demanding agricultural applications. While most domestic (gardening) controllers can only open/close zones based on a time duration, without any feedback from the irrigation process, professional irrigation controllers can irrigate based on volume (quantities defined in cubic meters / Gallons), receive feedback from the process, and react to actual events happening during the process.

For example, the typical professional controller will calculate the actual flow rate running in the system when a specific zone is operated, compare this to a pre-configured required amount, and adjust the irrigation process if deviation from the zone’s flow rate is detected; This mechanism is called “Flow monitoring”, and can prevent irrigation when a burst is occurring in the main line or in the zone’s hydraulic components.

1.1                                               OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

Irrigation is the method in which a controlled amount of water is supplied to plants at regular intervals for agriculture. At the end of the project students:

1. Will be aware of the various types of irrigation systems and their purposes and applications.
2. Will understand the differences in using overhead versus drip irrigation in container production.
3. Will learn about the various components of an irrigation system.
4. Will learn about water application measurements, including interception efficiency.
5. Will learn that the leaching fraction tells you how much water has leached out the bottom of a container, carrying nutrients with the water.
6. Will learn and understand methods of system evaluation.

1.2                                                     AIM OF THE STUDY

The main aim of the study is to develop irrigation system to provide irrigation system for the plants which help in saving water and money. The aim is to apply the system for improvement of health of the soil and hence the plant.

1.3                                           SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

1. Irrigation control system makes it possible to grow cash crops which give good returns to the cultivators. Examples of cash crops are; sugarcane, potato, tobacco etc.
2. It improves the groundwater storage as water lost due to seepage adds to groundwater storage.
3. It improves the yields of crops which mean more income for the farmer people prosperous.
4. We use it to help the growth of crops during the period of inadequate rainfall.

1.4                                                PROBLEM OF THE STUDY

1. Excessive seepage and leakage of water create marshes and ponds all along the channels.  The marshes and the ponds in some time become the colonies of the mosquito, which gives rise to a disease like malaria.
2. It lowers the temperature and makes the locality damp due to the presence of irrigation water.
3. Excessive seepage into the ground raises the water, hence causing water logging of the area.

1.5                                            IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

1. Irrigation system system maintains moisture in the soil. Moisture is necessary for the germination of seeds.
2. Water supplies two essential elements, hydrogen and oxygen to the crop.
3. Irrigation is necessary for the absorption of mineral nutrients by the plants from the soil.
4. It is essential for the growth of the roots of the crop plants.

1.6                                    SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The present study is confined itself to understand the influence of irrigation on farm economy. It does not cover the technical and managerial aspects of irrigation are not considered for this analysis.

The validity of the present study is subject to the following limitations. They include

1. The study is based only on limited experiences of only two crops and two LGA
2. The present study could not examine all minor irrigation programs except with reference to tanks tube
3. The power and irrigation charges are highly subsidized inputs in agriculture in the state and hence the differences in cost of cultivation are
4. Enough empirical data is not available on the reasons for low productivity in agriculture and this analysis is mostly based on the perceptions of the farmers which are highly subjective and hence, objective reality could not be obtained to the extent

1.7                                             HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY

1. The impact of minor irrigation on farm economy is positive in terms of farm income and its variability is significantly across the different categories of the farmers.
2. The impact of minor irrigation is more on the growth of the farm related activities when compared to that of nonfarm related