Comparative performance assessment of micro-rain spray, over-head sprinkler and drip irrigation systems at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo

Abstract

In Uganda, there exist different methods of irrigation for both surface (border, furrow, and basin irrigation) and pressurized (drip, center pivot and over-head sprinkler irrigation). There exists a new technology (Micro-Rain-spray irrigation) whose comparative performance in Uganda to the existing irrigation systems has not yet been evaluated. The Micro-Rain-spray system however has been evaluated at the Research cum Demonstration Farm of Centre of Excellence on Soil and Water Management, Research Testing and Training Centre, Junagadh Agricultural University, India. The objective of this research was to comparatively assess the performance of the micro rain spray system to that of the over-head sprinkler and the drip systems at MUARIK. Hydraulic systems evaluation was conducted. The hydraulic systems evaluation was based on performance parameters like Christiansen Uniformity Coefficient (CU), Distribution Uniformity (DU), Mean Application Rate (MAR), and Coefficient of Variation (CV). The drip, over-head sprinkler, and rain spray systems yielded the following average results for as 82%, 84%, and 81% respectively for CU, 81%, 70%, and 70% for DU respectively, 21%, 20%, and 23% for CV respectively, and 1144 mm/h, 28 mm/h, and 82 mm/h respectively for MAR. According to the results, the rain spray system was found to be inferior to the over-head sprinkler and dip systems based on the CV, DU and CU values. The drip system is best for areas with well levelled land (slope less than 5%) while the micro-rain spray and the overhead sprinkler systems are best for areas where leveling would be cumbersome.