Imagine, you are a farmer, you know your crops need enough water to grow well, but you have not got enough rain to water them. If you decide to find another way of watering your farm, an alternative to the normal rain is irrigation in agriculture. An artificial application of water to land or soil to help your plants grow, boosting agricultural production.

◉ Sources of water for irrigation in agriculture? Which source do you use in agriculture

Artificial sources of irrigation

Dams and reservoirs:
These artificial locations can hold water, then supply water when needed, making it easy to store water for controlled release. They are man-made structures and could be used to water farm lands.

Canals and waterways:
Canals and waterways are structures designed to channel and distribute water to fields for irrigation. It could channel water from a dam or reservoir.

Wells and tube wells
These are holes dug into the earth to access and utilise groundwater for watering our crops.

Pumps and irrigation systems
These are another set of manmade systems that deliver water to crops in a farm or garden.

Natural sources of irrigation,:
This refers to water sources that occur naturally.

Rainfall
Rain is a naturally occurring phenomenon that creates direct precipitation onto fields.

Rivers and streams
Revers are naturally flowing water that could be used to provide water for irrigating farms close to its banks.

Lakes and ponds
Ponds and lakes are natural water reservoirs serving as natural water sources for irrigation

Groundwater
There is a huge supply of natural underground water which could be tapped and used.

On my farm, I depend on rain to water my crops. The variety of cassava I planted can survive with less water, but but the pumpkin growing in the farm need a lot of watering in the dry season from November to February. At such a point, I depend on underground water made available through a bored hole with a pump powered by solar panels.

◉ Reasons for excessive cost of irrigation and how it can be reduced?

Irrigation is expensive because of the high cost of energy needed to power components like water pumps, which require significant energy, leading to high electricity bills. In most cases, the area of farm land is so big and we have Inefficient irrigation systems, or those that which is available are outdated and suffering from poor maintenance, wasting both water and energy. In some cases, there is a limited amount of water, making it very expensive to get enough for the farm. After building an irrigation system, I will want to recover the Infrastructure costs, factoring in maintenance will result in an expensive irrigation service.

Ways to reduce irrigation costs:

There is a technologh called drip irrigation that delivers water directly to the plant's roots, reducing water wastage, which is a good solution when water is in limited supply. We can also adopt precision irrigation, where technology is used to optimise water application. A good alternative is rainwater harvesting and storing rainwater for irrigation. Cost could also be reduced if we select and grow crops that are drought-resistant so they can grow well with little water.

◉ The role of irrigation in increasing crop production?

With proper irrigation, you can plant crops all year round. This increases crop production as it provides water all the time, reduces stress on the growing plant and promotes healthy plant growth. This can increase crop yields depending on the crop type and regional climate

◉ How can natural water sources be controlled? Share your opinion.

If you can build a dam along the course of a river, you will be able to control the water. Trap it and save it when there is much rainfall and use it when the rain is less. This can also help prevent flooding.
A flowing river can also be diverted into a lake as a reservoir to be used in times of less rain. You can also put up rules on how to use the available water.

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Conclusion and Invitation

There is plenty of water on planet Earth, but not all is usable or accessible. Let's make good use of water to plant crops. Create and maintain good irrigation systems to care for our food needs.

I am inviting @rubee2as1, @okere-blessing and @lhogic to have a say in this topic.

Media Credit

Composer	@manuelhooks
Pictures	Pixabay.com
Entry type	Contest participation
Contest Link	Link
Organizer	@abdul-rakib
Community	Nature & Agriculture
Date	19th July
	(@) 2025