Analysis of modern and traditional irrigation technologies at sites in Bangui, Sabon guida and Tounfafi (Tahoua-Niger)

In Niger, faced with persistent climatic hazards that jeopardize primarily rain-fed agricultural production, the development of irrigation has emerged as a promising avenue for securing, increasing, and sustainably expanding agricultural output. However, one of the main constraints to irrigation development is water availability, with irregularity or even a complete lack of water in irrigated areas. Indeed, the main objective of this study is to analyze the performance of modern irrigation technologies used by market gardeners in Bangui, Sabon Gari, and Tounfafi. These new technologies include drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, and irrigation using the Californian network. The traditional irrigation technique is gravity irrigation. The methodological approach we adopted consisted of a literature review, fieldwork, data processing and analysis, followed by interviews using a survey form with producers who practice these modern irrigation technologies. This study reveals that sprinkler irrigation and the Californian irrigation system are the most popular among producers, with over 90% expressing their preference. Finally, the results show that the Californian system is the most widely used and preferred by producers compared to drip irrigation and sprinkler systems. However, further analysis revealed that the sprinkler system is more efficient than the drip irrigation system, which in turn is more efficient than the Californian system.