Jain Irrigation today launched Integrated Solar Powered Micro Irrigation Systems for Small Farmers  at World Water Week 2014 being held at Country Capital Stockholm.

While launching the pioneering concept informally, the Company’s President Dr. Dilip Kulkarni said, “ In India, small farmers are deprived of both water and power. Most of them hardly have any irrigation facility. Majority of the small farmers have to depend on rain-fed farming for their livelihood. Their income levels are very low. This innovative model of Integrated Solar Powered Micro Irrigation involving different components such as development of on-farm water source, like farm ponds, solar pumping systems , piping and micro irrigation systems  would ensure reliability of water supply and power supply to the small farms. This will prove to be the boon for the small farmers in developing countries like India, Africa and other countries in Asia.

This concept works on Solar Energy which is reliable and complementary to crop water requirements. In summer or in noon hours, when the solar insolation is higher, the crop water requirements are also higher. Due to better solar insolation, the solar pumping system operates at high efficiency and delivers the required amount of water to fulfill the water requirement of crops. In winter or in rainy season, the crop water requirements are low and the pump also operate at relatively lower efficiency thus avoids over irrigation.

Since the solar pumping systems are integrated with micro irrigation, the inherent multifold advantages of micro irrigation which include huge water saving, increase in yields, fertilizer savings and other input cost savings are at the door-step of the farmers. Apart from this, increase in productivity would lead to increase in net income of farmers by 3-4 times as compared to rain fed farming.

Such systems have proved to be economically viable even for the small farmers because of negligible recurring expenses. Solar Power is a clean energy source which is eco-friendly.  Many Governments including government of India give substantial subsidies to the small farmers for buying this equipment.”

The farmers of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat states have already started adopting the systems. There are more than 5000 installations of Jain Integrated Solar Powered Micro Irrigation systems working for crops like vegetable, cotton and other cash crops all over India. These systems can be adopted on large scale in African countries where there is water and power crisis.

“The Integrated Solar Powered Micro Irrigation can also be adopted in canal command area, thus solving the water and power problems of small farmers”, Dr Kulkarni added.