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- Do not plant crops unless you are sure of a water source. For example, an acre of bananas in the dry season requires at least 280,000 litres of water per week.
- Know the size of land to be irrigated. The larger the size, the more expensive the equipment.
- Have a source of water for irrigation. The size of the water source determines the amount of water. Permanent sources such as rivers or lakes irrigate larger areas than created sources such as sunk wells or small dams.
- Acquire only those machines that can do the job. When acquiring a pump, for example, closely examine the Q — which stands for discharge capacity and H; which stands for amount of delivery pressure. You then need to correspond these with the distance of water delivery.
- Given the type of crops, decide if you need drip or overhead sprinkler systems. A drip system is good for most crops because it does not waste water since the drip pipes drop water directly to the roots, overhead sprinkler system throws water all over the farm.
- Irrigate when there is no sunshine to avoid evaporation of the water. l Consult an expert before investing in any expensive irrigation system.
