THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SPRINKLER IRRIGATION FIELD

Irrigation is an artificial method of water application to soil to improve the crop production. Its supplement rainfall, soil moisture and ground water rise. In many areas, inadequate rainfall is not enough to meet crop moisture requirement. Irrigation systems, such as tubes, pump and spray vary depending of soil type and planting season. Before irrigation, farmers had to wait for rain and many still practise rain-fed farming due to the cost. Irrigation is critical to self-sufficiency in developing countries like Nigeria. When farmers can grow crops all years, harvest increase, supply exceed demand, and food prices fall, resulting in lower food prices and more storage or processing. The study aims to design, install and evaluate a sprinkler irrigation system for okra farm, focusing on soil properties, and layout and pump selection for a ½ hectare field. The students demonstrated in a modified irrigation field near the chief lecturer’s office at the Federal Polytechnic Ado ekiti in Ekiti state. Measuring tape was used to mark one hectare (10,000 m2).sprinkler field (56 x 54 m). Drip irrigation field (40 x 50 m),border irrigation, and furrow irrigation were the four division and the field layout was drawn using AutoCAD. Soil samples were collected at random from the field and tested in a lab for chemical and physical properties such as moisture content, bulk density, porosity and particle size reduction. In the study, it was concluded that sprinkler irrigation system is suitable for department food crop production and student demonstration during insufficient rainfall, with a 1.0 hp pump selected through proper formulas. After analysing the physical and chemical properties of the irrigation field, the study recommends increasing soil Ph, decreasing EC, decreasing organic matter, decreasing Mg and treating water to reduce phosphate, chloride and alkaline content.