| A Pivot Irrigator with a Difference |
| People - Featured Innovation | |||||||||||||
| Written by Vimarsh Bajpai | |||||||||||||
| Tuesday, 01 December 2009 00:00 | |||||||||||||
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Developed by a Pune-based engineer, this eco-friendly machine saves energy and time while irrigating large stretches of land. However, lack of funds is hampering its commercial production When rains failed all of a sudden last year after having started on a promising note in June, the researchers at the National Research Centre for Onion and Garlic in Rajgurunagar went into a tizzy. The soy bean crop that had been planted in 4.5 acres of land at the center was at risk of failure. What came to their rescue was a solar-powered pivot irrigator, developed by Pune-based Padmakar Kelkar, an engineer by profession and an entrepreneur by choice. Kelkar’s innovation saved the entire soy bean crop that was almost on the verge of getting wiped out.
In a country like India where agriculture is heavily dependent on rains, the solar-powered pivot irrigator could go a long way in solving the problems of inclement weather. It can also help increase yield while reducing water consumption. Its solar panels help save electricity and the pivot can be used for various types of crops. The idea
Undeterred by the incident, Kelkar thought the pivot irrigator could work well in Indian conditions; given the unpredictable weather and unforgiving droughts, like the one this year. That’s when Kelkar started working on his dream machine.
Features and benefits The solar panels charge the battery, and this in turn runs the machine when there is no sun. “We have run the machine 19 hours continuously without solar energy at all,” says Kelkar. The use of solar panels could be a boon for farmers in those states that get ample sunlight but not enough electricity. Other advantages include water savings of about 30-50 percent over other pivots, zero land erosion, 30-50 percent more yield, higher return on investment, and minimum labor requirements. Compared to the drip irrigation, Kelkar’s pivot is more cost-effective. “Drip irrigation may cost around Rs 35,000 an acre, whereas my machine costs around Rs 45,000 an acre. But the cost in case of drip irrigation includes laying it out in the field every time and taking it out once it gets damaged, and you may have to spend another 15 percent every year. On a long-term basis, the cost of my machine comes out to be much less,” he adds. Kelkar claims that water application can be easily adjusted to meet the soil and crop requirements. “It also has greater management flexibility than other sprinkler systems. The system can be managed according to the crop requirement either in small frequent doses or in one single application. Some models are computerized and therefore offer additional flexibility and versatility,” he adds.
The Market To finance his project, Kelkar is looking for venture funding or raise resources through the Technopreneur Promotion Program (TePP). “The cost of manufacturing will go down if we get into volume production. I am also eyeing the export market. There are some enquiries from African nations,” he adds. Comments (1)
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