Article Sidebar
Published:
Sep 27, 2015DOI:
10.4314/njt.v34i4.32Keywords:
Article Details
Copyright belongs to the Faculty of Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
The contents of the articles are the sole opinion of the author(s) and not of NIJOTECH.
NIJOTECH allows open access for distribution of the published articles in any media so long as whole (not part) of articles are distributed.
A copyright and statement of originality documents will need to be filled out clearly and signed prior to publication of an accepted article. The Copyright form can be downloaded from https://www.nijotech.com/downloads/COPYRIGHT%20FORM.pdf while the Statement of Originality is in Statement of Originality.pdf (nijotech.com)
For articles that were developed from funded research, a clear acknowledgement of such support should be mentioned in the article with relevant references. Authors are expected to provide complete information on the sponsorship and intellectual property rights of the article together with all exceptions.
It is forbidden to publish the same research report in more than one journal.
Main Article Content
Low Cost Constant – Head Drip Irrigation Emitter for Climate Change Adaptation in Nigeria: Engineering Design and Calibration
Abstract
A low cost constant – head emitter for drip irrigation was developed using cheap and readily available materials as a substitute for the imported drip emitters which deter the adoption of drip irrigation in sub – Saharan Africa (SSA). The emitter was calibrated at both laboratory scale and on the field. The drip system comprises of abarrel, sub-main line, lateral lines, tubes and emitters, it can irrigate140 crop stands and can be extended to 560 stands. The emitters produced a mean discharge and emission uniformity (Eu) of 1.60l/hr. and 74 % respectively; while the calibrated manufacturer’s coefficient of variation and distribution uniformity of discharge were 0.098 and 86.3% respectively. The system operates under low pressure (87.9 mbar) and can deliver the daily crop water requirement of a crop like maize in 20 minutes; the overall system performance based on field calibration is generally satisfactory and show potential for improvement when compared with global standards for drip systems. The system’s low cost of N15, 870 ($79) gives it an edge over existing locally developed drip systems, the low technology and the use of locally available materials coupled with the water savings will enable famers to adapt to the impact of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa through the production of high value crops in the dry season.
