Department of Agricultural Mechanization and Irrigation Engineering
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Item EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF SYNTHETIC MULCHES VS ORGANIC MULCHES ON WATER USE EFFICIENCY (WUE) WITH BEAN YIELD UNDER DRIP IRRIGATION IN BUSIA, UGANDA(BUSITEMA UNIVERSITY, 2026) TSEMALE RAYMONDBean production in Busia District, Uganda, is increasingly constrained by soil moisture deficits arising from erratic rainfall and prolonged dry spells, resulting in low and unstable yields. This study evaluated the impact of synthetic mulch (plastic film) and organic mulches (straw and wood chips) on water use efficiency (WUE) and bean (NABE 32) yield under drip irrigation at the Busitema University Demonstration Site. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four treatments which included plastic mulch (T1), straw mulch (T2), wood chips mulch (T3), and a no-mulch control (T4) each replicated three times, was used. Key parameters measured included soil moisture content, plant height, number of leaves, days to flowering, pods per plant, grain yield, WUE, and economic performance indicators. Results showed that mulch type had a highly significant effect on all measured parameters (P < 0.05). Plastic mulch produced the highest grain yield of 1,963 kg/ha, followed by straw mulch at 1,685 kg/ha, wood chips at 1,444 kg/ha, and the control at 1,056 kg/ha. Corresponding WUE values were 8.15, 7.00, 6.00, and 4.38 kg/mm respectively. Soil moisture was consistently highest under plastic mulch (25.19–29.97%) and lowest in the control (17.93–22.95%) throughout the cropping season. Mulched treatments also exhibited earlier flowering, taller plants, more leaves, and higher pod counts compared to the control, reflecting the cumulative agronomic benefits of improved soil moisture conservation under drip irrigation. Economic analysis revealed that although plastic mulch generated the highest net return (UGX 4,338,883/ha), straw mulch achieved the most favourable benefit-cost ratio (BCR = 5.06) and return on investment (ROI = 405.6%), making it the most economically efficient option for smallholder farmers. All treatments exceeded their break-even yield thresholds, confirming financial viability across the board. The study concludes that integrating mulching with stage-based drip irrigation scheduling significantly enhances crop productivity and water use efficiency, with straw mulch offering the most practical, cost-effective, and scalable solution for bean production in water-stressed tropical environments such as Busia District, UgandaItem Design and Fabrication of an Engine Powered Weeder Sprayer Machine for Maize(2026) Kikyo Hellen, Mudoola CorneriousWeeds are a major constraint to crop productivity, contributing to an estimated 25–26% yield losses in major crops annually and billions in financial losses worldwide. Traditional weed control methods, such as manual removal and conventional mechanical devices, often result in high labor costs, significant drudgery, and inconsistent efficacy, particularly in smallholder farming contexts. Engine-powered weeding machines have demonstrated substantially improved weeding efficiency up to 90% compared to manual methods, which typically achieve 65–82% efficiency. This project focused on the design and fabrication of an engine-powered weeder-sprayer machine capable of mechanically removing weeds in crop inter-rows while simultaneously spraying herbicides within intra-row. The machine integrates dual implements, that is, the fixed tines for physical weed removal and cutting and a targeted spraying system for precise selective herbicide application. Performance benchmarks show that such machines can deliver a field efficiency of approximately 86%, maintain plant damage below 4%, and reduce weeding costs by over 60% when compared to traditional practices. By leveraging mechanical automation and selective herbicide application, the proposed solution aims to address labor shortages and improve both the quality and quantity of crop production. The system is designed to be accessible, economical, and environmentally conscious, promising substantial benefits for small and medium-sized farms and aligning with the demand for sustainable agriculture.Item Design and Fabrication of an engine Powered Weeder Sprayer Machine(2026) Mudoola Cornerious, Kikyo hellenWeeds are a major constraint to crop productivity, contributing to an estimated 25–26% yield losses in major crops annually and billions in financial losses worldwide. Traditional weed control methods, such as manual removal and conventional mechanical devices, often result in high labor costs, significant drudgery, and inconsistent efficacy, particularly in smallholder farming contexts. Engine-powered weeding machines have demonstrated substantially improved weeding efficiency up to 90% compared to manual methods, which typically achieve 65–82% efficiency. This project focused on the design and fabrication of an engine-powered weeder-sprayer machine capable of mechanically removing weeds in crop inter-rows while simultaneously spraying herbicides within intra-row. The machine integrates dual implements, that is, the fixed tines for physical weed removal and cutting and a targeted spraying system for precise selective herbicide application. Performance benchmarks show that such machines can deliver a field efficiency of approximately 86%, maintain plant damage below 4%, and reduce weeding costs by over 60% when compared to traditional practices. By leveraging mechanical automation and selective herbicide application, the proposed solution aims to address labor shortages and improve both the quality and quantity of crop production. The system is designed to be accessible, economical, and environmentally conscious, promising substantial benefits for small and medium-sized farms and aligning with the demand for sustainable agriculture.Item EVALUATING THE INFLUENCE OF BIOGAS SLURRY ON AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF TOMATOS AND SOIL FERTILITY UNDER OPEN FIELD CONDITIONS(2026) Edyangu KokasTomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is among the most economically important horticultural crops in Uganda, contributing significantly to household income, nutrition, and food security. However, open field tomato production remains constrained by declining soil fertility and prohibitively high costs of inorganic fertilizers. This study evaluated the influence of biogas slurry (BGS) on agronomic performance of tomatoes under open field conditions at Busitema University Demonstration Farm, Busia District, Eastern Uganda. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four treatments biogas slurry, chemical fertilizer (NPK 17:17:17), cow dung, and an unfertilized control replicated twice was employed over 42 days. Vegetative parameters (plant height, stem diameter) and reproductive parameters (number of flowers, number of fruits per plant) were measured. Soil organic matter and organic carbon were analysed before and after treatment application using the Walkley-Black method. Data were subjected to one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in Microsoft Excel. Results indicated that while vegetative growth differences among treatments were not statistically significant (p > 0.05), both biogas slurry and NPK consistently outperformed cow dung and the control numerically. Reproductive parameters showed statistically significant treatment effects, with NPK recording the highest flower and fruit counts, followed closely by biogas slurry. Soil fertility analysis revealed highly significant increases in soil organic matter under organic amendment treatments, particularly cow dung and biogas slurry (F = 129.98, p = 0.000193). These findings demonstrate that biogas slurry is a viable, sustainable, and cost-effective alternative or complement to chemical fertilizers for smallholder tomato production in Uganda.Item EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF DEFICIT IRRIGATION LEVELS UNDER DRIP IRRIGATION WITH MULCHING ON TOMATO YIELD AND WATER PRODUCTIVITY.(BUSITEMA UNIVERSITY, 2026) ABESIGA, DennisTomato production in Busia District, eastern Uganda, is increasingly constrained by seasonal water scarcity and inefficient irrigation practices. This study evaluated the effects of three deficit irrigation levels 100% (I₁), 75% (I₂), and 50% (I₃) of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) combined with two mulching treatments (mulched and non-mulched) on tomato (Money Maker) growth, yield, soil moisture dynamics, and water productivity under drip irrigation. The experiment was conducted at Busitema University Research Field, Busia District, during the dry season from December 2025 to March 2026, using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with a 3×2 factorial arrangement replicated three times. Results showed that both irrigation level and mulching had highly significant effects (P<0.001) on all measured parameters. The highest marketable yield of 44.17 t/ha was recorded under I₁+Mulch (full irrigation with mulching), while the lowest yield of 20.39 t/ha was recorded under I₃+No Mulch. Mulching provided a mean yield advantage of 4.41 t/ha (+14.2%) across all irrigation levels. Critically, the I₂+Mulch treatment (75% ETc with mulching) achieved a yield of 39.14 t/ha statistically equivalent to full irrigation without mulch (39.61 t/ha) while using 25% less irrigation water. Soil moisture content was maintained above the permanent wilting point (0.10 g/g) in all treatments throughout the season, validating the 50% management allowable deficit (MAD) scheduling approach. The I₂+Mulch treatment recorded the highest irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) of 17.70 kg/m³, surpassing the full irrigation treatment (16.26 kg/m³), and reduced seasonal irrigation demand by 504 m³/ha compared to full irrigation. The I₂+Mulch treatment was identified as the optimal deficit irrigation strategy, offering the best balance between yield, water productivity, and irrigation efficiency for smallholder tomato production under drip irrigation in Busia District. These findings provide practical, evidence-based guidelines for farmers, extension workers, and policymakers on sustainable irrigation water management for tomato production in sub-humid eastern Uganda.Item Steganalysis model for detecting and recovering stego images(2026) Nabirye, BarbraThe National Information Technology Authority of Uganda (NITA-U) lacks effective steganalysis capabilities, leaving government systems vulnerable to covert data exfiltration and hidden communication channels exploited by malicious actors. While encryption secures message content, it does not conceal the existence of communication—a limitation that steganography overcomes by hiding information within innocuous digital media. This study designed, implemented, and experimentally evaluated a steganalysis model to detect, decipher, and recover hidden information from digital image files within the NITA-U context. Using an experimental design, the Least Significant Bit (LSB) technique was implemented in Python with OpenCV and Pillow. A dataset of 45 images was assembled from USC-SIPI, BOSSBase v1.01, and NITA-U operations. Evaluation metrics included PSNR, SSIM, MSE, chi-square analysis, classification metrics, and three feature detection methods (Shi-Tomasi, ORB, Harris). Results showed successful hiding and retrieval of text and image payloads without quality loss. The tool achieved PSNR values of 52.34–54.18 dB (exceeding the 40 dB threshold) and SSIM values of 0.9978–0.9984, confirming imperceptibility. Chi-square statistics (2.14, 1.87) fell below the critical threshold of 3.84, confirming statistical undetectability. No feature detection method distinguished stego images from cover images at significant levels (p = 0.68, 0.72; 94.7% match rate). The proposed model achieved 93.3% detection accuracy (F1 = 0.903) and significantly outperformed Steghide, OpenPuff, and F5 (ANOVA: F = 16.98, p < 0.001).Item 48 irrigation schemes constructed, 30 in pipeline(New Vision, 2018-05-18) Tenywa, Gerald; Amamukirori, BettyThe Ministry of Water and Environment is constructing 48 new small and big irrigation schemes in order to increase food security and resilience against climate change impacts.Item President Museveni's simplicity: Why all water is not safe for irrigation(New Vision, 2017-01-06) Kanyarusoke, Kant AteenyiAre you inventing a rain-making machine? A close relative and childhood playmate, now in Kampala- Grace Kiiza- teased me during my protracted doctor of engineering research in solar energy. She had learnt I was working on some solar-related invention and both of us were concerned about the changing climate of the country leading to droughts even in regions that had been wet during our youth.Item Technology to facilitate agricultural financing.(Daily Monitor, 2017-10-05) Ladu, Ismail MusaSmall holder farmers have for years been unable to access credit, hindering their transformation from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture, sector experts have said. According to the chief operations officer of aBiTrust, Ms. Josephine Mukumbya, whose organisation guarantees credit extended to farmers, small holders farmer financing comes with huge risks,Item Makerere builds solar power irrigation pump(New Vision, 2017-01-06) Nantambi, AgnesMakerere University's college of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has fabricated a solar-powered pump with capacity to irrigate up to 10 acres.Item Guidelines for agriculture mechanisation in the offing(New Vision, 2018-04-03) Nandudu, ProssyThe Agriculture ministry is drafting a policy that will guide the country on how to design appropriate interventions in agriculture mechanisations.Item Did you know? Farmers seek irrigation(Saturday Monitor, 2018-02-10) Mukombozi, RajabOn August 15 of every year was a day every farmer in South Western region looked up wit eagerness. It marked the beginning of the rain season.