AbstractSolar-powered pumps provide sustainable irrigation solutions for farmers in India, particularly in rainfed regions. Farm ponds-based solar-powered micro-irrigation systems have emerged as promising technologies for sustainable agriculture. Irrigation is a crucial factor in enhancing food production, improving land productivity, and supporting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. This study was conducted at KVK-Ranga Reddy, ICAR-Central Research Institute for Rainfed Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad, in a 6.0 ha micro-watershed at the Hayatnagar Research Farm. The system comprises a farm pond with a capacity of 750 m3 lined with a 600-micron HDPE sheet, and connected to a solar-powered irrigation system. This photovoltaic (PV) system operates with a 5 HP pump set consisting of 16 solar panels, a 440 V system voltage, and a 3.73 kW power rating, and is equipped with low and high-voltage protection. The performance of various micro-irrigation systems was evaluated in naturally fertile soils. Drip irrigation achieved the highest water use efficiency (90-95%), followed by rain pipe irrigation (80-85%), micro-sprinklers (75-80%), and mini-sprinklers (70-80%). Compared to traditional methods, adopting these technologies resulted in 20-30% higher crop yields, 40-60% water savings, a 40% reduction in labor costs, and up to a 100% increase in cropping intensity. Overall, integrating farm ponds with solar-powered micro-irrigation systems is a sustainable and scalable model for enhancing productivity and water use efficiency in rain-fed areas.
Vijayakumar et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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