A rain gun sprinkler is a type of irrigation equipment used for the application of water to crops. A rain gun sprinkles water around the farm; it wets the leaves, stems and the roots of the plants. A rain gun often sprays or sprinkles water around the farm while rotating.
Rain gun sprinklers are used by mostly broad acre crops farmers in Nigeria because they are relatively cheaper than drip irrigation systems. In Nigeria, rain guns are often used for irrigating crops like maize, soybeans, millet, rice and vegetables.
Rain guns are very effective and efficient if a farmer has a large body of water like a river or a dam around his farm. Without a natural body of water, a surface reservoir will need to be created on the farm. Rain gun sprinklers need a huge volume of water.
Price of a Rain Gun Sprinkler in Nigeria
The price of rain gun sprinklers in Nigeria varies according to the type, size, quality and capacity. For example, the price of a 40-inch type rain gun sprinkler in Nigeria varies from N30,000 – N50,000 depending on the quality and the country of manufacture. Chinese and Indian made rain guns are often cheaper than those manufactured in Europe.
The cost of a 1-inch rain gun varies between N10,000 – N20,000 in Nigeria depending on the quality and country of manufacture. This cost includes the cost of the tripod stands.
The price of a rocker sprinkler in Nigeria can N5,000 – N10,000. Rocker sprinklers are plastic sprinklers that work exactly like a rain gun, they however use lesser water pressure and water flow.
The cost of a travelling gun system or traveling rain gun system can be as high as N2 million depending on the capacity and size.
Do not be deceived into buying low quality and sub-standard rain gun sprinklers in Nigeria because they appear very cheap. You can regret your actions later. Some terrible sellers in Nigeria know that most Nigerians like very cheap products, so they use these tactics to import sub-standard rain guns to sell to people in Nigeria. Do not be fooled by ridiculously low prices, insist on buying only quality products even if they are a little bit pricier.
Rain Gun Irrigation System Dealers in Nigeria
To buy a rain gun sprinkler for irrigation in Nigeria, you are advised to patronize only genuine and competent dealers. Do not buy from way side traders who know nothing about irrigation or farming.
A competent and credible dealer is likely to sell genuine products to you while market and way side traders are likely to sell sub-standard rain guns to you. A sub-standard rain gun will get bad within a few weeks of purchase.
Below are some of the leading and credible rain gun sprinklers dealers in Nigeria:
Veggie Concept: This Company is one of the largest irrigation products’ dealers in Nigeria. It does not only sell rain guns to people, it also offers a lot of free services like free soil analysis, free plant tissue test and free water tests to its customers. It does this so that its customers can be successful in their farming ventures.
Veggie Concept can be contacted by calling +2348025141924 or through sales@veggieconcept.ng. The firm is located on 28, Godwin Omonua Street, Isolo, Lagos.
Dipp Limited: This firm is located in Lagos. They mostly sell rain guns imported from China. Dipp Limited is a credible rain guns dealer. The firm is located on 2, Mushin road, Lagos, Nigeria.
Other rain gun irrigation kits sellers include:
- Naan Dain Limited
- Irrigation Home
- Irrigation Venture
- Josepad Limited
Benefits and uses of Rain Gun Sprinklers
The use of rain guns has a lot of benefits. The most important of all the benefits of using rain gun irrigation system is that it ensures all year round farming. With all year round farming, a farmer can improve his income and availability of food.
Below are some of the benefits of using rain gun irrigation sprinklers:
Better crop yield: Rain gun irrigation sprinklers enables farmers to increase their crops yields. One of the causes of poor yield in farming is inadequate supply of water to crops. With rain guns, adequate water supply is assured, this can boost crop yield and also increase the income of farmers.
All year round water supply: Most of the farmers in Nigeria are rain fed farmers; they solely rely on rains for water supply to their crops. With rain gun sprinklers, crops can be irrigated all year round. There will be no need for farmers to stop farming when the rains cease. The guarantee of water all year round for crops can significantly increase the income of farmers and better their livelihood. It can also enable them to sell their crops when the prices of food items are high, this can double or triple their profits.
Application of pesticides: Some types of pesticides like insecticides, fungicides, bactericides and acaricides etc. can be applied to crops through the use of rain gun sprinklers. This can save labour as farmers will not need to use labourers to apply pesticides on crops again.
Application of foliar fertilizers: A rain gun can be used for the application of fertilizers on crops. Application of foliar fertilizers can increase the yield of crops and make the plants healthy.
Factors to consider when looking for the best rain gun sprinkler irrigation system or kit in Nigeria
The following are the factors to consider before buying any gun sprinkler irrigation system in Nigeria:
Are you buying from an expert in irrigation or a trader? I strongly advise that you buy all your irrigation kits including rain guns from experts in the field of irrigation and agronomy. Do not patronize traders who know nothing about irrigation. These wayside traders can sell the wrong type of rain guns to you. They can also sell sub-standard rain guns to you.
The cost or price of the rain gun: If the price of the rain gun appears too cheap, please put on your thinking cap. You may be buying a sub-standard rain gun sprinkler. Unscrupulous traders use low price strategy to sell sub-standard products to people, knowing fully well that Nigerians like very cheap things. If you buy a low quality rain gun, it will not work well and will get bad very quickly.
Attributes of the rain gun: You should check the characteristics of the rain gun. Do you want a rain gun with a 2 inch inlet pipe size or 1 inch inlet pipe size? These are things you should not before buying any rain gun. You should also check the volume of water it needs, rotating angles and water pressure level needed.
The quality of the rain gun irrigation sprinkler: You should check the quality of the rain gun before buying. This is one of the reasons you should buy from experts. If you are not an expert in irrigation, you can be sold rain guns of poor quality.
Components of a rain gun irrigation system
The following are the components of a rain gun irrigation system:
Rain Gun Sprinkler: This is the sprinkler that sprays water to the plants on the field. The rain gun sprinkler can rotate round. It can rotate 360 degrees and it can be set to the angle of your choice. It is the main component of the rain gun irrigation system.
Tripod Stands: The tripod stand has three legs, it is used to hold the rain guns so that they can rotate and irrigate the field.
Hold down stakes: These are heavy stakes usually iron rods, they are used in attaching the tripods firmly to the soil so that they will not remove when the rain guns are working.
Hoses: Water hoses are lay flat hoses used in supplying water to the rain guns. Without these hoses, the rain guns cannot get water. They are also used to siphon water from the source of water.
Water Pumps: The pumping machine is used to pump water from the reservoir to the rain gun irrigation system. It is usually petrol or diesel powered.
Rain Gun Irrigation System and Drip Irrigation System
Rain gun sprinklers can be used alongside drip irrigation system in cultivation and irrigation of crops.
Rain gun sprinklers can be installed on sub main lay flat hoses used for the supply of water to drip irrigation laterals.
Questions and Answers about Rain Gun Irrigation Sprinklers in Nigeria
Question: Can rain gun sprinklers be used in Nigeria for all crops?
Answer: Rain gun sprinklers can be used to irrigate almost all crops in Nigeria.
Question: What types of crops can rain gun sprinklers be used for?
Answer: Maize, soybeans, millet, pepper, okra, sugarcane and cocoa etc.
Question: Should I buy ridiculously cheap rain guns?
Answer: No, do not buy any rain gun that appears too cheap, you may be buying a very sub-standard irrigation system.
Question: Can I make profit if I use rain gun sprinklers?
Answer: Yes, you can make good profit if you use rain gun irrigation system.
Question: Can fertilizers and pesticides be sprayed with rain gun sprinklers?
Answer: Yes, rain guns can be used for this purpose.
Question: Can anybody use a rain gun irrigation system?
Answer: Yes, illiterates even operate it in Nigeria.