Plan before acquiring irrigation equipment

Elita Chikwati
Irrigation has enabled most farmers to produce continuously resulting in improved profits. However it is essential that before buying the equipment farmers consider a few factors.

Some farmers buy irrigation equipment without considering the type of their enterprises and this will result in losses.

Farmers who buy from the manufacturer have an advantage in that they get explanations before they purchase the equipment and this will help them in installing, handling and maintenance of the irrigation equipment. The department of irrigation services advises farmers to first plan their farming activities before acquiring irrigation equipment.

For instant drip irrigation is suitable for raw crops such as tomatoes, cabbages, onions, carrots and fruit trees.

These are mostly high value per unit area crop meaning that they bring high returns within a short space of time.

This type of irrigation is suitable for maize if it would be sold as green maize because then it will fetch high prices than harvested grain. Drip irrigation is characterized by small polyethylene tubing with “emitters” located at various points. Drip irrigation applies water much more slowly than sprinkler systems and therefore must be operated longer. Most drip products do not wet leaves or foliage, so the products can be used at any time.

Drip irrigation requires filtration and should always be placed on top of soil but under any mulch used in the landscape. Emitters would be installed on the drip equipment and farmers can consult manufacturers for ideal spacing of emitters.

Irrigation equipment also requires maintenance for it to last long. For drip irrigation, laterals should be permanently buried in the ground and care needs to be taken when ploughing to avoid damaging the pipe. After irrigation, pipes should be neatly packed and stored. Drip is sensitive to clogging and farmers should open end plugs after use and remove soils. Farmers should be careful when weeding to avoid damaging the pipes. It is not advisable to open openings betwe0en emitters as this causes flooding. The advantage of drip irrigation over other systems is that it does not waste water as water is applied to the plant directly.

The system also reduces the problem of weeds as they are not supplied with water and therefore will not be able to outgrow crops. Farmers can also apply liquid fertilisers when irrigating (fertigation) and this reduces losses because the right plant only uses the nutrients. — New Farmer.