DESIGN OF DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM FOR FIELD- GROWN CASSAVA

Abstract

There is the need for all the year round cultivation and increase production of cassava in Nigeria and as a result an attempt has been made to design a drip irrigation set for field-grown cassava. A two (2) year field experiment was carried out at the Research and Training Farm Site of the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Akure. A preliminary investigation was carried out on the Soil Physical and Chemical Characteristics, climate variations and water resource of the study site to determine its potentials for dry season farming. The Drip Irrigation set dimensionally consists of a main lateral, twelve lateral lines with length of 4.7m and four emitters spaced equally on each lateral line. The emitter discharge rate was found to be 1.94 litres/hour designed for 1 hour 30 minutes at peak consumptive use periods. Water application was scheduled and applied to cassava following a completely randomized block design (CRBD) of four treatments replicated foul- times. The treatments were classified based on different irrigation water application. Full irrigation, 100%available water (100% AW); Medium irrigation; 50%available water (50%AW); Low irrigat'ion; 25%available water and the control experiment, No irrigation; 0% available water. Soil moisture content analysis was carried out to determine the prevailing conditions of these parameters on the crop. Xl The drip irrigation system for cassava revealed that the total moisture stored in the soil during the raining season did not create large difference in moisture stored in the soil, which was largely due to rainfalls around this period which significantly did not create much difference in moisture within the determined depths of 10 cm - 50 cm. However, the differences in the soil moisture contents became appreciable at the onset of dry season in all the irrigation treatment plots, with the treatment plot that received 100% available water showing highest moisture storage at 50 cm depth. The .systern designed may be used in small or large farms, it is within technical and financial reach of the farmers.