Hydraulic Characteristics of Medi-Emitter Drip Irrigation System in Jos, Nigeria

Abstract

The field experiments were carried out at the federal college of forestry farm, Jos- Nigeria, to evaluate the hydraulic characteristics of aMedi-emitter drip irrigation system, constructed with locally sourced materials. A set of Medi-emitter drip system covering an area of 46m2 with lateral length of 2.4m and sub-main length of 2.7m was used in the experiment. The overall average Mediemitter discharge was found to be 1.74L/hr under flow rates best suited for vegetable crops. The average variation of the emitter flow rate of the system was found to be 16.54%, while the distribution uniformity and emission uniformity for the whole system were 94.5 and 97.3% which signified an even distribution of water through the system. It was therefore recommended that the Medi- emitter drip irrigation system should be adopted by farmers within the Northern part of Nigeria for dry season farming so as to boost the economy of peasant farmers.