Ingeniería de Sistemas de Riego y Drenaje

Assessment of Water distribution Efficiency Using Solar Powered Drip Irrigation System Convenient for West Burkina Faso Small Scale Farming

Abstract

Vinsoun Millogo*, Michel Kéré, Dofindoubê Victor Yé, Toundji Olivier Amoussou, Robert Burdick, Timothy Harrigan and Ajit Srivastava

In order to build the capacity of smallholder farmers, the appropriate scale mechanization consortium team in Burkina Faso designed and tested a small scale drip irrigation system for vegetable production. An experiment was conducted in Sonsongona village “11.2522°N, 4.4559°W” in the Houet Province of the Hauts-Bassins Region. The irrigation system consisted of four compartments: 1) Seven (07) meters depth well in which a submersible pump (ps2-200 h 07) 2) The pump was placed and connected to two electrically semi-automated solar panels (130 watts each) 3) Polytank water tower with a capacity of 2000 liters was feed up from the pump 4) Grid drip system on the irrigation plot. The experimental design was a randomized complete block. The system evaluation was based on measurements of water quantities emitted by 48 emitters per block as well as the flow rate of the pump and the water tower. The quantities of water collected from the emitters of the 4 valves therefore varied significantly. The lowest value (92.25 ml/7 minutes) was observed at the emitters of valve 8 and the highest (97.26 ml/7 min) at the emitters of valve 2. The 5^th and 60^th day after installation data showed similarity in term of the quantities of water emitted by the emitters of the 4 valves (p > 0.05). The daily operating peak flow of the pump was 1.10 m³/h with an average water pumping rate of about 0.87 m³/ h. The average flow delivered by the water tower was about 1.06 m³/ hr. For crops production efficiency, the system was tested and the average yields were 14,750 ± 736 kg/ha of cabbage in a mulch plot compared to 8,500 ± 736 kg/ha in no-mulch plot. Onion yield was 4,187.50 ± 162.41 kg/ha with mulching compared to 1,750 ± 162.41 kg/ha without mulching. As for tomatoes, on straw plots, the yield was 6,875 ± 547.5 kg/ha compared to 3,975 ± 547.5 kg/ha on no-mulch plots. It could be concluded that, the current designed drip irrigation is functional and could be suitable in smallholder farming system and rural communities’ use since it doesn’t recommend much efforts for maintenance. It can be used to grow vegetables (20 square meters), livestock water drink and seed crops cultivation which could improve rural family livelihood and nutrition especially women and children.