Daniel Adeyemi Mechanical & Systems Engineer
Lagos, Nigeria
hello@danieladeyemi.engineer
+234 806 284 7319
PROJECT 02 — AGRICULTURAL IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Water, Zone by Zone

Integrated agricultural irrigation network across 42 hectares in Ogun State.

LocationOgun State, Nigeria
Year2025
DisciplineWater & Agricultural Systems
Key metric42 ha
Aerial view of the irrigation mainline running through the 42-hectare production area, Ogun State.
THE PROBLEM

Uneven water distribution across a 42-hectare production area was limiting yield in the outer rows of every block. Manual and gravity-fed watering left pressure inconsistent by the time water reached the far end of each field, and the farm had no way to meter or adjust water use zone by zone.

SITE CONDITIONS
TERRAIN

Gently sloped farmland dropping roughly 6 metres across the site, favouring gravity-assisted flow toward the eastern blocks.

CLIMATE

Distinct wet and dry seasons, with the dry season creating the highest-stakes irrigation demand and the tightest water budget.

EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE

A single borehole and an underused surface reservoir, with no filtration or pressure regulation in place.

CONSTRAINTS

Installation had to proceed around an active growing season without disturbing existing crop rows.

THE BRIEF

Deliver even, measurable water pressure to every zone of the farm, with the ability to regulate and fertigate each zone independently.

ENGINEERING APPROACH

Daniel divided the 42 hectares into eight independently regulated zones, each sized to the pump station's realistic output rather than a single farm-wide pressure target. A mainline and sub-mainline network feeds pressure-regulated drip zones, with filtration and a fertigation point positioned upstream of the first zone split.

INTERACTIVE FARM MAP

Eight zones, independently regulated.

Click a zone to inspect its specification.

ZONE 04
Area3.8 ha
Design flow28 L/min
Pressure1.4 bar
Emitter spacing30 cm

Click a zone on the map to inspect its specification.

MATERIALS / COMPONENTS

Specification.

Mainline160 mm HDPE, 480 m
Sub-mainlines90 mm HDPE, 5,920 m combined
FiltrationSand media + 130-mesh screen
Pressure regulationPer-zone regulators, 1.4–1.6 bar
Drip zones8, independently valved
Pump station15 kW centrifugal, 3.2 bar output
Fertigation pointVenturi injector, upstream of Zone 01
Total design flow295 L/min at peak demand
IMPLEMENTATION

On site.

PROBLEM DURING IMPLEMENTATION

The original pump location produced unstable suction during peak demand, as the borehole's dry-season yield fell below the pump's rated draw. The system was redesigned around a raised storage buffer that refills steadily from the borehole and lets the pump draw from a stable head, decoupling irrigation timing from the borehole's slower recharge rate.

RESULT

Measured outcomes.

42 haUnder zoned, metered irrigation
8Independently regulated zones
±0.2 barPressure variance, zone to zone
WHAT THE PROJECT TAUGHT ME

A water source's rated yield and its real dry-season yield are two different numbers — the buffer that reconciles them is often the most important component in the whole design.