Drip Irrigation System
The Sprinkler System
Farming is no
longer rewarding like before considering the high cost of input, labour and the
outmoded farming method still used in this twenty-first century.
This coupled
with erratic rainfall pattern, has worsened the plight of farmers, yet much
resources and effort are being pumped into farming.
It is in line with this,
that the Center for Scientific and Industrial Research CSIR and the Savanna
Agriculture Research Institute SARI, among other partners had come out with an innovative
technology called Drip Irrigation system.
The new technology which is tried and
tested can help farmers rip the benefit of their labor.Drip irrigation
is a type of micro- irrigation system that has the potential to save water and plants
nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots, either from above the
soil surface or buried below the surface.
The new technology is said to be in
line with the government’s policy of modernizing Agriculture under the planting
for Food and Jobs.
Speaking to Radio Ghana on the sidelines of an induction session
for farmers on the drip irrigation system, an Entomologist, Dr. Francis Kusi
said farmers would have good returns from their yield if the system is
prioritized.
According to him, SARI’s main concern is come out with innovative
farming technology that can help the farmer produce maximum output with minimal
cost.
He said, the orientation was therefore, to give those farmers who can
afford, the opportunity to invest in the Drip Irrigation system.
About 73
farmers drawn from Bawku and its adjoining communities attended the day’s
orientation session jointly organized by the Center for Scientific and
Industrial Research CSIR and Savaana Agricultural Research Institute SARI.
Other partners include Innovation Lab for Climate Resilience Cowpea and the
University of California USA under the sponsorship of USAID of the American
People. Dr Kusi said, the system is cost effective.
He assured the farmers that those who cannot
afford, especially the youth to take advantage of the government’s initiatives
of making Agriculture a source of income generation and food production.
The
idea was to educate the farmers about the new farming technology. He moreover advised the youth to form groups
in order to obtained loans from MASLOC to better their lot.
A Research Scientist
and Irrigation Agronomist, CSIR SARI Ramson Adombila, who designs and
formulates systems that runs the technology said, it does not require weeding,
pumping of water in large quantity which sometimes leach the fertilizer applied
to somewhere else.
He stressed that the Upper East Region has a good water
storage system underground for prolong use, but have not been able to tap the
resource for maximum use in terms of Agriculture.
He indicated that there is
still that potential in trying to expand Agriculture by the use of the drip
systems in the northern parts of the country, where majority of farmers are
engaged in vegetable production.
This, he added will help supplement losses that
are often incur during the raining season as a result of the poor climatic
conditions.
The Chief of Getiga in Bawku and also the 2016 Best Onion farmer
award winner described the Drip Irrigation system as welcoming saying that it
will relieve them of the drudgery they go through in the cultivation of their
vegetables during the dry season.
GBC
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Drip Irrigation System
