How To Start Irrigation Farming In Nigeria: Complete Guide
Irrigation farming and all the processes involved are explained in this article specifically for you. You will agree with me that food security in any country is dependent on food availability all year round. Farmers in Nigeria are always complaining of the pattern of rainfall and how it lowers crop yield. This article is to help you embrace the prospects of irrigation farming in Nigeria. In this article, you will get to know all there is about irrigation system of farming in Nigeria.
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With the current exponential growth of the population of Nigeria, food security is very important. This is the more reason you should consider an irrigation system of farming as a business. This irrigation farming enables you to supply crops during scarcity as a result of your agricultural practice. Whether you accept it or not, irrigation farming is the future of Nigeria’s agriculture. You have got to align yourself with this practice and start making cool money from it during the dry season.
In this article, you will learn lots of things as it concerns irrigation farming in Nigeria. Some of the things you will get to know include:
- Why is the irrigation system important in agriculture?
- What are the problems of irrigation farming?
- Types of irrigation systems for agriculture
- Farming season in Nigeria
- Problems associated with irrigation systems
- Importance of the irrigation system of farming in Nigeria
Just relax and keep reading because you are certainly going to be glad you did. In fact, let me tell you this; if you haven’t been considering dry season farming in Nigeria, you better start now.
Importance Of Irrigation Farming In Nigeria
The importance of irrigation system of farming in Nigeria is just uncountable. For starters, you should know that irrigation increase the supply of plant roots with nutrients and moisture. It also helps to reduce the temperature of the surface of the soil, thereby increasing the humidity. You need to know that there are certain crops that prefer dry season, thus those crops don’t require irrigation.
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Therefore, before applying any irrigation farming system in your farm, you need to study the requirements of the crop or plant you want to produce. Another great importance of irrigation farming system in Nigeria is that it ensures food security. With good irrigation farming, Nigerian farmers can contribute greatly to the country’s GDP through the exportation of agricultural produce. Do you know that by using irrigation farming during the dry season, rice farming can be increased to millions of tonnes?
Having said that, you don’t just rush into irrigation farming or dry season farming in Nigeria. You need to be equipped with all the relevant information regarding how to set up an irrigation farming system.
Guidelines To Starting Irrigation Farming In Nigeria
There are certain things that you need to put into consideration before venturing into dry season farming in Nigeria. You really need to follow through with these guidelines to really succeed in your dry season farming in Nigeria. These guidelines include:
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Proper planning
You should know that there is no magic that is involved in dry season farming except proper planning. Due to some irrigation technology, irrigation farming or dry season farming in Nigeria can be really expensive. It is basically for this reason that you are advised to have a good irrigation farming feasibility study. With your feasibility study, you can project your expected returns on investment.
You also need to be certain that the plant or crop been cultivated have good profit potential. If you fail to carry out such research, there is a higher percentage of failure in your irrigation farming business.
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The land preparation
After you must have carried out your feasibility study, the next step is to prepare the farmland. Land preparation during dry season farming is not so different from what is obtainable during the wet or rainy season. It involves bush clearing, land tilling as well as fertilizer application.
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Irrigation
Your irrigation farming system can be in the form of dams, canals, or water reservoirs. The particular type of irrigation system you employ is dependent on the type of crop that is cultivated. Correct irrigation technique is very essential to optimize crop yield during dry season farming in Nigeria. Irrigation farming practices positively impact the microbiological processes that take place in the soil.
Read: How to make millions from soybeans farming business in Nigeria
With the proper irrigation system, you will certainly improve your crop yield and growth during your dry season farming. You also improve the quality of the farmland through dry season farming with good irrigation systems in place. The irrigation system of farming helps dissolve the soil nutrients thereby making them available for the crops.
With good irrigation farming systems during dry season farming, you can improve the plant fiber and turgidity. In fact, you cannot just exhaust the advantages of irrigation or dry season farming in Nigeria. There are two popular methods or irrigation that you can employ in your dry season farming in Nigeria. They include the following:
- Drip Irrigation and
- Rain Gun Irrigation
Drip irrigation
This drip irrigation is based on the application of water through known point sources. Drip irrigation was introduced to provide plants with constant water supply. Through drip irrigation, water is constantly delivered to the plants as well as the soil with the help of little drops of water. The major disadvantage is that it is quite costly. On second consideration, you will certainly agree that the advantages outweigh this drawback. It is mostly used for vegetable farming.
Advantages of drip irrigation
- It causes the effective utilization of fertilizer by plants; up to 80%
- Drip irrigation also allows you the opportunity to water your plants anytime
- It greatly improves the quality of your farm produce
- You can save about 50% of water and increases crop yield by up to 40% using the drip irrigation system
The rain gun irrigation system
The rain gun irrigation system is mostly employed in the cultivation of cereals like rice, millet, sorghum, etc. The very good thing about rain gum irrigation is that it saves your labor and time as well. It doesn’t also lead to water logging in your farm.
Planting your crops
For your irrigation or dry season farming in Nigeria, plant the crops in the morning or evening. You should also adhere to the standard crop spacing for the particular crop you are cultivating. The standard spacing must be followed to prevent unhealthy competition among your crops on the farm. Once you are done with planting, water them daily or as required for optimal yield.
The major disadvantage of irrigation farming in Nigeria is that it is very costly to start. Before installing your irrigation system, make sure you employ the services of an expert for even distribution of water in your farm. If there is an uneven distribution of water and nutrients over your farmland, it will negatively affect crop yield.
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