Drip irrigation is a type of irrigation that ensures the passing of droplets of water to the roots of plants. Drip irrigation is known as the most effective and efficient type of irrigation for crops. Drip irrigation can be used for pepper farming as it can significantly increase the yield of pepper.
Drip irrigation for pepper farming is the application of drip irrigation to pepper farming. Pepper as a crop derives a lot of benefits from the use of drip irrigation. As a matter of fact, pepper reaches their peak yield level when drip irrigation is used.
In Nigeria, a lot of new pepper farmers now use drip irrigation because of the advantages of using it. Drip irrigation can also be used to pass soluble nutrients to the roots of pepper plants, this is impossible with the use of rain fed method for pepper farming.
Steps to take to use drip irrigation for pepper farming
The following steps need to be taken for you to use drip irrigation for pepper farming:
Prepare the farmland
Land preparation should be the first step for using drip irrigation for pepper farming. Farm preparation includes bush clearing, plowing, harrowing and ridging. The farmland should also be free of trees, weeds, stumps and other things that can affect the laying of the drip tapes.
Without land preparation, the drip irrigation system cannot be installed on the farmland. For subsurface drip irrigation system, there will be some diggings on the farmland.
Buy the drip irrigation system
The next step after land preparation is for you to buy the drip irrigation system. There are drip irrigation systems that are suitable for pepper farming, do not buy the wrong specification of the drip irrigation system.
Check the components of the drip irrigation system to be sure that they are suitable for the growing of pepper.
Get a source of water
The drip irrigation system cannot work without a source of water. Sources of water that can be used for the drip irrigation system are well, borehole, river, stream and dam etc. The water should be clean and free of particles that can damage the drip irrigation system.
Design the drip irrigation layout
The drip irrigation layout should be designed by an expert. Most irrigation vendors in Nigeria like Veggie Concept can help you to design your irrigation layout.
Install the drip irrigation system
The drip irrigation system should be installed by experts. However, for small pepper farms, DIY can be done. Gravity drip irrigation system can be easily set up by the farmer himself.
Test the drip irrigation system
Testing of the irrigation system should be done after installation. You should pressurize the drip irrigation tapes with water and check that the emitters drip water as expected. If the drip irrigation system does not work as expected, you may need to check the water pressure and flow or better still, contact an irrigation expert.
Cost of drip irrigation for pepper farming
The cost of drip irrigation for pepper farming for an acre of farmland is ₦200,000 – ₦500,000 depending on the type of drip irrigation system.
The cost of drip irrigation for pepper farming for a hectare of farmland is ₦500,000 – ₦1,250,000 depending on the type of drip irrigation system.
The cost of drip irrigation for pepper farming for 5 acres of farmland is ₦1,000,000 – ₦2,500,000 depending on the type of drip irrigation system.
Do you use drip irrigation for pepper farming? If yes, why not share your experiences in the comments’ section.
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