A team in Kenya developed a mobile solar irrigation system to help farmers in dry climates access the water they need to support their crops.
According to an article from The Sunday Standard, SowPrecise created these movable, solar-powered systems to provide water to farmers in the Embu village of Gachuriri.
The report explained that cofounder Linda Kamau turned to solar after discovering that diesel-powered irrigation was costly and time-consuming. Plus, extracting and burning dirty energy releases pollutants into the air that can harm human health.
Instead, the team uses a cart to move the solar panels that power the irrigation pipes from one location to another.
The Standard noted that while SowPrecise started by helping one farmer, it now serves 50, many of whom have become more invested in their farms.
Luckily, operational costs are low because the sun and water source are free, which helps make the service more affordable, per The Standard.
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SowPrecise is seeing more demand than it can handle. However, the article explained that the company has received two grants to help expand its capabilities.
Aside from mobile irrigation, SowPrecise has educated farmers on smart agricultural practices, helping maximize yields, per The Standard.
When discussing the award money, Heifer International Youth and Innovation Leader Agnes Kavatha said that it will be "used to upgrade the technology, making water pumps more efficient, reducing irrigation time and covering more acreage daily," per The Standard. "This means serving more smallholder farmers, boosting productivity and enhancing national food security."
The article reported that Kavatha stated that efficiency could reduce costs, which would then help lower the expenses for those using the service. Additionally, it could enable farmers to earn a higher income due to the improved crop yield.
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Healthier indoor air 🏠 In Kenya, there are many areas with semi-arid or arid climates. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimated that only 4% of Kenya's arable land is irrigated.
That means irrigation systems are all the more crucial in these water-stressed climates, as drought can be fatal to crops. It can also cause farmers to lose money while affecting the food supply, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System.
But this solar-powered solution — dubbed the SunRider — could help make irrigation more affordable. In a pitch for MIT Solve, Kamau explained: "In a nutshell, what SowPrecise is doing is making solar irrigation possible for low-income farmers."
Other groups worldwide are working on efforts to reinvent agriculture to adapt to changing weather patterns, including the Safaricom Foundation, Mexico's Rising Farms, and Germany's food stabilization tech.
Eventually, the SowPrecise team aims to expand its services to include solar-powered weeding, plowing, and harvesting, per The Standard. For now, the focus is on expanding its irrigation services to more people in Embu County.
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