Irrigation Research

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What is now known as Irrigation Research Programme (IRP) was the Soil and Water Management Section (SWMS) of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) resident in the Department is Soil Science Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in the 1970s. It was re-organized and named Irrigation Research Programme in 1983 with a mandate to promote irrigation research and development towards addressing efficient utilization of water and irrigation infrastructures, management of the soil and environment for enhancing food security and poverty alleviation in Nigeria. Today, IRP is one of the Nine (9) Programmes of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR). The Programme holds the national mandate of irrigation research and development among research programmes of the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) in Nigeria.

Leadership/Headship

Available records show that SWMS was headed by Dr. Mohammed Iqbal between 1974 and 1976. Dr. M. Iqbal was also the Irrigation Coordinator who coordinated irrigation research activities in the South Chad Irrigation Project (SCIP) and Bakura Irrigation Project. Prof A. Singh also headed the SWMS between 1977 and 1979. Dr. P.R. Maurya was a very astute researcher who also headed the SWMS which became the Irrigation Research Programme in 1983.

Other eminent researchers who led the Irrigation Research Programme at one time or the other include:

Fig 1

OUR GOALS

To significantly contribute to growth and sustainability of irrigation in Nigeria to alleviate poverty, guarantee food security, and increase livelihood of farming communities and the nation at large.

OUR VALUES

To conduct and disseminate solution oriented research in irrigation and agricultural water management to meet efficient, cost effective, sustainable and technology-based utilization of water, irrigation infrastructures, and management of crop environment, in the light of changing climate, competing demand for water resources and population stress.

Objectives

• To identify appropriate techniques for water resources development and management such as water storage, conveyance system, application methods, and drainage for efficient use of water in agriculture.
• To develop suitable methodology for efficient management of soil-water-crop environment for sustained crop production including scheduling, identification and development of suitable cropping system, irrigated soil management, fertilizer use, and socio-economic analysis of various aspects of irrigated agriculture.
• To develop suitable preventive and curative measures for environmental hazards such as soil salinity, water logging, weed, insects, environmental pollution, etc. associated with irrigation systems.

Each of the specific objectives is pursued through a sub-programme. The sub-programmes and research activities under them are presented in Figure 1

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

The activities of the Programme are driven by four organs which include the Research Review Committee (RRC) drawn from different disciplines/departments in the University involved in irrigation; the Participating Research Staff (PRS), and Participating Technical Staff (PTS). There is also the Administrative Staff who maintains the Programme office. The Programme Leader organizes the activities and provides leadership.

The Programme has Research Stations in Samaru-Zaria, Kadawa in Kano River Irrigation Scheme, and Talata  Mafara in Bakolori Irrigation Scheme where most of the On-Station experimental trials are carried out. These stations falls under the Northern Guinea Savanna, Sudan Savanna and Sahel Savanna ecologies, respectively, and makes for a perfect set up for outputs that meets the irrigation needs of the entire Northern Nigeria and the nation at large. 

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 RESEARCH QUALITY CONTROL COMMITTEE (2017-DATE)

 RESEARCH TEAM

Name	Discipline
H.E. Igbadun	Agricultural and Bio-resources Engineering
Z. Abdulsalam	Agricultural Economics
R. S. Adamu	Entomology
M. D. Alegbejo	Virology
M.F. Ishiyaku	Plant Science
A.A. Ramalan	Agricultural and Bio-resources Engineering
I.U. Abubakar	Agronomy
H. Mani	Agronomy
A.A. Muhammad	Agronomy
S. T. Abu	Soil Science
M.A. Yahaya	Plant Science
H.N. Kura	Agronomy
A. Murktar (Mrs)	Agronomy
M.M. Maiyaki	Agronomy
U.D. Idris	Agricultural Engineering, DAC
A. Yusuf	Soil Science
S. Idris	Soil Science
A. Abdulkadir (Mrs)	Soil Science
A.I. Sharifai	Agronomy
A.M. Yamusa	Soil Science
O. A. Ojeleye	Agric. Economics
M.O. Akinola	Agricultural Extension  and Rural Sociology
M. K. Othman	NAERLS
A. Adamu	NAERLS
H. Shuaibu (Mrs)	Agricultural Extension
M.O. Akinola	Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology
M.B. Hassan	Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology
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