Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 1
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERIES
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERIES
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Agricultural Science
Class: SHS 1
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 10
Grade code: 2.1.3.LI.3
Strand code: 1
Sub-strand code: 3
Content standard code: 2.1.3.CS.1
Indicator code: 2.1.3.LI.3
Theme: NEW DAWN AGRICULTURE
Subtheme: AGRICULTURAL MACHINERIES
This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.
For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.
In Ghana, our agriculture is heavily dependent on rainfall, which can be unreliable, especially with changing climate patterns. This often limits farmers to just one or two growing seasons a year. Agricultural machinery, specifically irrigation systems, provides a powerful solution by allowing farmers to supply water to crops whenever needed. This lesson moves beyond simply knowing what irrigation is; we will become farm business managers and analyse when and why investing in irrigation is a profitable decision.
2.1 What is Irrigation?
Irrigation is the artificial application of water to land or soil to assist in the growing of crops. Essentially, it is watering your farm when the rains are not enough or have stopped completely. Its main purpose is to supplement natural rainfall and allow for farming during the dry season (harmattan). 2.2 Types of Irrigation Systems
We can group these systems into two main categories: Traditional and Modern.
A. Traditional Methods These are low-cost, manual methods that have been used for generations. They are suitable for small-scale, backyard, or subsistence farming. Watering Can / Bucket Irrigation: How it works: The farmer fetches water from a source (well, stream, tank) and manually applies it to the base of each plant. Advantages: Very low initial cost (only the cost of a bucket/can), simple to use. Disadvantages: Extremely labour-intensive, time-consuming, not practical for more than a small vegetable patch, can lead to soil compaction and water wastage through runoff. Furrow Irrigation: How it works: Small channels or "furrows" are dug between rows of crops. Water is introduced at the high end of the field and flows down the furrows by gravity, seeping into the soil to water the plant roots. Context: Often seen in community irrigation schemes in areas like the Upper East Region for tomato and rice cultivation. Advantages: Low technology requirement, can irrigate a larger area than a watering can. Disadvantages: High water loss due to evaporation and deep percolation (water sinking below the roots), requires a levelled field, and can cause soil erosion if not managed well.