**4.2 Field characteristics**

Field characteristics such as field size, topography, and soil types are determining factors in the choice of irrigation system, its design, crop type, and planting pattern.


water or moist condition. Such plants are preferably irrigated through drip irrigation with plastic-film mulch; whereas, crops with high foliar tolerance to water or that require their leaves to be wet should be irrigated with a sprinkler. The duration of life of plants also determines their water requirement, for example, annual crops require less water than perennial plants [19]. The evapotranspiration rate of plants varies, and this influences irrigation scheduling. Plants with high evapotranspiration rates require more frequent irrigation than plants with low evapotranspiration rates. Furthermore, the market value of a crop could influence the introduction of an irrigation system to sustain its production.

#### **5. Improving irrigation system**

Irrigation system improvement must take into account agricultural output as well as saving water. The introduction of new crops to an irrigated farm requires technicalities and acquaintance with the crop to the farming system. In the present day, artificial intelligence is an example of cutting-edge technological innovations in irrigation systems. A Photovoltaic (PV) irrigation system is an example of renewable energy resources for improving irrigation systems. The effective management of water for various irrigation uses on a farm depends on the architectural structure of the farm and the mode of operation of the farm operators. Therefore, the system of agriculture may vary from one country to the other. Hence, the need for government to coordinate a sustainable irrigation system in agriculture that suits their Nation [20]. The characterization of the improvement of irrigation systems is a deliberate issue and needs a wealth of knowledge from the technical programming aspect. The deprivation of farmers' provisional assets may lead to the failure of policy made by government parastatals. This may also result in low farmer turnout in a country or state.

There are factors toward implementing a particular irrigation system and crop cultivation in particular [21]. The integrating components include the irrigation pipe, water pump/tank, valve, emitters, and pressure gauge regulator for a typical drip irrigation system [21]. The capital for implementing the newly adopted irrigation system, the human resources in the coordination, the management of infrastructure and water supply, and the strategy in operating the resources for good crop production are all important to be considered. In summary, the improvement of the agricultural system including the irrigation system needs deliberate policy by government and immense contributions from the scientific community [22].
