Category Archives: Agriculture

The Benefits of Applying Compost to Your Garden

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Composting is a natural process of recycling food waste, lawn and garden waste along with other organic matter such as leaves and newspapers. It is all natural resulting in improved soil quality, nutrient recycling and water conservation.

You are able to fertilize and improve the soil with natural ingredients that provide plant nutrients and beneficial microbial and other organisms, such as fungal mycelium and earthworms, that enhance the soil environment.

benefits of applying compost in garden

The Advantages of Applying Compost

There is a phrase “Black Gold” and that exactly is what compost material is. Compost that you have generated in your own backyard by processing food waste, lawn clippings, ripped up papers, especially newspapers, leaf litter. Mixing the greens and the browns biodegradable waste products that are generated in our home or around the yard.

This compost material can be spread across the garden soil, dug in and used to supplement nutrients in the growing beds of our gardens. First and foremost, you will be adding microbial material to your soils that will bring more life and energy to your soil and ultimately to your plants. It’s a type of food for the soil.

It means you will not need to use commercial and artificial chemicals on your souls to boost the growth. That will save you hard earned cash. It will protect you and your family from artificial chemicals. The compost will also add to your mulch layer which is designed to suppress weeds or the unintended plants that pop up in everyone’s garden. This also means no pesticide usage to kill the weeds either. That is another money saving aspect and protection for you from pesticides.

All the while, the richer soil will give rise to greater microbial diversity within your soil. Greater diversity will mean a more efficient and faster processing of soil maturation. This in turn will create the perfect environment for the vegetable and flower garden.

benefits-composting

By these advantages, the soil structure will be improved that soil organisms and root structures will move more freely through the soil substrata with less stress and resistance. By creating a healthier plant root environment, the soil will be easier also for you to cultivate and care for. Water will penetrate more easily and the compost material will also help retain the soil moisture. At the same time, the compost helps maintain an ideal pH level in the soil that is optimum for plant growth.

The water holding capacity will be enhanced overall. As mentioned above, not just easing entry of water into the soil, but retaining it within the soil layer means there will not be the hardening or crusting of the very top soil layer that makes it hard and even impossible for water penetration. If this occurs, water will simply runoff the garden and even wash away clumps of soil. A healthy soil will also conserve water in your garden environment. It is a win-win situation.

sustainable options to turn your garden greener.

To summarise, the key benefits of using compost are as follows:

  • Enriched soil structure
  • Enhanced soil biodiversity
  • Improve soil structure
  • Maintain healthy pH levels
  • Reduce stress in root zones
  • Create healthier plant root environment
  • Produce healthier flower heads and bigger food crops
  • Easier work environment for gardener
  • Improve water holding capacity of soil
  • Conserve water
  • Reduce water runoff
  • Suppress weeds
  • Eliminate use of pesticides and fertilizers

Sustainable Agriculture with Organic Liquid Fertilizers

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Agricultural practices are increasingly leaning towards committing to a sustainable environment. In light of this, organic farming has become acceptable to many farmers. Many are practicing environmental- friendly practices such as using organic liquid fertilizer instead of the synthetic alternative.

The misuse and abuse of synthetic fertilizers is responsible for many of the health problems that humans experience today. It has also contributed to a large extent to the deterioration of the environment.

Organic agriculture has experienced fast growth globally. Organic systems involve the natural management of soil through the following practices:

These nourish the soil by steadily releasing nutrients to the crops as the organic matter that has been added to the soil breaks down. The chemical and physical properties of the soil are improved by the exogenous organic matter applied to the soil. This also improves the biological functions of the soil which results in a healthy and wholesome crop free of dangerous disease causing chemicals.

liquid-fertilizer

Why Organic Liquid Fertilizer is Sustainable?

Organic liquid fertilizer is derived from naturally existing products such as plants and animal manure. This makes it a sustainable product. Waste from animals such as cows, rabbits, fish and chicken is used to make organic fertilizer that provides much-needed nutrition to plants and soil as well.

Naturally occurring vegetation and waste will always be available as it renews itself. Besides, plants can be reused to make fertilizer for the next batch once harvesting is done. Since organic farming takes care of the environment, it is safe to say that vegetation is safe for the long run. Organic liquid fertilizer is also made from human waste such as urine and that is definitely sustainable.

ecofriendly-gardening

Organic gardeners love to have a bottle of organic fish fertilizer on hand for feed young seedlings. This fertilizer also works well on plants in containers and any crop that may be suffering from ‘malnutrition’.

Why and When to Use Liquid Fertilizers

Seeing as liquid manures act faster than solid organic ones, they are the best option in the following circumstance:

  • For seedlings that have exhausted the nutrients provided by newly sprouted seed. It is especially crucial if the fertilizer you are using is a soil-free seed starting mix. While it helps in damping off, it fails to provide adequate nutrients.
  • When seedlings show signs of not having had enough nutrients. If the color fails to darken after a fertilizer has been added, it is an indication that they have not had a fair share of nutrients.
  • If you have container-grown plants, liquid fertilizers are what your plants yearn for. Container-grown plants depend entirely on the grower for nutrients and moisture. They need to be fed frequently with an organic liquid fertilizer in order to thrive.
  • When you are growing cold-tolerant crops which begin their journey of growth in low soil temperatures. Liquid fertilizers are great for boosting nutrients for such plants since it is difficult to absorb nutrients such as nitrogen in wintry temperatures.

Organic liquid fertilizers are short-acting. Consequently, they are easier to regulate that dry organic ones which are longer-acting. The ease with which liquid fertilizers can be used makes them quite popular and therefore sustainable.

Important Tip

Do not mix too much nitrogen-rich fertilizer into the soil. This is not reversible. The release of nitrogen into the soil increases as the temperature rises. You may consequently end up with huge plants but no production. The best time to apply a short-acting fertilizer is just when it is needed by the crop. Then you have less chances of overdoing the application.

When your plants are well into the season, you can feed them an organic liquid fertilizer to rejuvenate crops such as tomatoes which live long in the ground. Tomatoes are known to awaken with gusto once you give them two feeds of a good organic liquid fertilizer.

Trends in Utilization of Palm Kernel Shells

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The palm kernel shells used to be initially dumped in the open thereby impacting the environment negatively without any economic benefit. However, over time, palm oil mills in Southeast Asia and elsewhere realized their brilliant properties as a fuel and that they can easily replace coal as an industrial fuel for generating heat and steam.

palm-kernel-shell-uses

Palm kernel shells is an abundant biomass resource in Southeast Asia

Major Applications

Nowadays, the primary use of palm kernel shells is as a boiler fuel supplementing the fibre which is used as primary fuel. In recent years kernel shells are extensively sold as alternative fuel around the world. Besides selling shells in bulk, there are companies that produce fuel briquettes from shells which may include partial carbonisation of the material to improve the combustion characteristics.

Palm kernel shells have a high dry matter content (>80% dry matter). Therefore the shells are generally considered a good fuel for the boilers as it generates low ash amounts and the low K and Cl content will lead to less ash agglomeration. These properties are also ideal for production of biomass for export.

As a raw material for fuel briquettes, palm shells are reported to have the same calorific characteristics as coconut shells. The relatively smaller size makes it easier to carbonise for mass production, and its resulting palm shell charcoal can be pressed into a heat efficient biomass briquette.

Although the literature on using oil palm shells (and fibres) is not as extensive as EFB, common research directions of using shells, besides energy, are to use it as raw material for light-weight concrete, fillers, activated carbon, and other materials. However, none of the applications are currently done on a large-scale. Since shells are dry and suitable for thermal conversion, technologies that further improve the combustion characteristics and increase the energy density, such as torrefaction, could be relevant for oil palm shells.

Torrefaction is a pretreatment process which serves to improve the properties of biomass in relation to the thermochemical conversion technologies for more efficient energy generation. High lignin content for shells affects torrefaction characteristics positively (as the material is not easily degraded compared to EFB and fibres).

Furthermore, palm oil shells are studied as feedstock for fast pyrolysis. To what extent shells are a source of fermentable sugars is still not known, however the high lignin content in palm kernel shells indicates that shells are less suitable as raw material for fermentation.

Future Outlook

The leading palm oil producers in the world should consider limiting the export of palm kernel shells (PKS) to ensure supplies of the biomass material for renewable energy projects, in order to decrease dependency on fossil fuels. For example, many developers in Indonesia have expressed an interest in building palm kernel shell-fired power plants.

However, they have their concerns over supplies, as many producers prefer to sell their shells overseas currently. Many existing plants are facing problems on account of inconsistent fuel quality and increasing competition from overseas PKS buyers. PKS market is well-established in provinces like Sumatra and export volumes to Europe and North Asia as a primary fuel for biomass power plants is steadily increasing.

The creation of a biomass supply chain in palm oil producing countries may be instrumental in discouraging palm mills to sell their PKS stocks to brokers for export to foreign countries. Establishment of a biomass exchange in leading countries, like Indonesia, Malaysia and Nigeria, will also be a deciding factor in tapping the unharnessed potential of palm kernel shells as biomass resource.

Biomass Wastes from Palm Oil Mills

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The Palm Oil industry generates large quantity of wastes whose disposal is a challenging task. In the Palm Oil mill, fresh fruit bunches are sterilized after which the oil fruits can be removed from the branches. The empty fruit bunches (are left as residues, and the fruits are pressed in oil mills. The Palm Oil fruits are then pressed, and the kernel is separated from the press cake (mesocarp fibers). The palm kernels are then crushed and the kernels then transported and pressed in separate mills.

palm-biomass

In a typical palm oil mill, almost 70% of the fresh fruit bunches are turned into wastes in the form of empty fruit bunches, fibers and shells, as well as liquid effluent. These by-products can be converted to value-added products or energy to generate additional profit for the Palm Oil Industry.

Palm Kernel Shells (PKS)

Palm kernel shells (or PKS) are the shell fractions left after the nut has been removed after crushing in the Palm Oil mill. Kernel shells are a fibrous material and can be easily handled in bulk directly from the product line to the end use. Large and small shell fractions are mixed with dust-like fractions and small fibres.

Moisture content in kernel shells is low compared to other biomass residues with different sources suggesting values between 11% and 13%. Palm kernel shells contain residues of Palm Oil, which accounts for its slightly higher heating value than average lignocellulosic biomass. Compared to other residues from the industry, it is a good quality biomass fuel with uniform size distribution, easy handling, easy crushing, and limited biological activity due to low moisture content.

Press fibre and shell generated by the Palm Oil mills are traditionally used as solid fuels for steam boilers. The steam generated is used to run turbines for electricity production. These two solid fuels alone are able to generate more than enough energy to meet the energy demands of a Palm Oil mill.

Empty Fruit Bunches (EFBs)

In a typical Palm Oil mill, empty fruit bunches are abundantly available as fibrous material of purely biological origin. EFB contains neither chemical nor mineral additives, and depending on proper handling operations at the mill, it is free from foreign elements such as gravel, nails, wood residues, waste etc. However, it is saturated with water due to the biological growth combined with the steam sterilization at the mill. Since the moisture content in EFB is around 67%, pre-processing is necessary before EFB can be considered as a good fuel.

In contrast to shells and fibers, empty fruit bunches are usually burnt causing air pollution or returned to the plantations as mulch. Empty fruit bunches can be conveniently collected and are available for exploitation in all Palm Oil mills. Since shells and fibres are easy-to-handle, high quality fuels compared to EFB, it will be advantageous to utilize EFB for on-site energy demand while making shells and fibres available for off-site utilization which may bring more revenues as compared to burning on-site.

Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME)

Palm Oil processing also gives rise to highly polluting waste-water, known as Palm Oil Mill Effluent, which is often discarded in disposal ponds, resulting in the leaching of contaminants that pollute the groundwater and soil, and in the release of methane gas into the atmosphere. POME could be used for biogas production through anaerobic digestion. At many palm oil mills this process is already in place to meet water quality standards for industrial effluent. The gas, however, is flared off.

In a conventional Palm Oil mill, 600-700 kg of POME is generated for every ton of processed FFB. Anaerobic digestion is widely adopted in the industry as a primary treatment for POME. Liquid effluents from palm oil mills can be anaerobically converted into biogas which in turn can be used to generate power through gas turbines or gas-fired engines.

Conclusions

Most of the Biomass residues from Palm Oil Mills are either burnt in the open or disposed off in waste ponds. The Palm Oil industry, therefore, contributes significantly to global climate change by emitting carbon dioxide and methane. Like sugar mills, Palm Oil mills have traditionally been designed to cover their own energy needs (process heat and electricity) by utilizing low pressure boilers and back pressure turbo-generators. Efficient energy conversion technologies, especially thermal systems for crop residues, that can utilize all Palm Oil residues, including EFBs, are currently available.

In the Palm Oil value chain there is an overall surplus of by-products and their utilization rate is negligible, especially in the case of POME and EFBs. For other mill by-products the efficiency of the application can be increased. Presently, shells and fibers are used for in-house energy generation in mills but empty fruit bunches is either used for mulching or dumped recklessly. Palm Oil industry has the potential of generating large amounts of electricity for captive consumption as well as export of surplus power to the public grid.

Major Considerations in Biopower Projects

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In recent years, biopower (or biomass power) projects are getting increasing traction worldwide, however there are major issues to be tackled before setting up a biopower project. There are three important steps involved in the conversion of biomass wastes into useful energy. In the first step, the biomass must be prepared for the energy conversion process. While this step is highly dependent on the waste stream and approach, drying, grinding, separating, and similar operations are common.

In addition, the host facility will need material handling systems, storage, metering, and prep-yard systems and biomass handling equipment. In the second step, the biomass waste stream must be converted into a useful fuel or steam. Finally, the fuel or steam is fed into a prime mover to generate useful electricity and heat.

One of the most important factors in the efficient utilization of biomass resource is its availability in close proximity to a biomass power project. An in-depth evaluation of the available quantity of a given agricultural resource should be conducted to determine initial feasibility of a project, as well as subsequent fuel availability issues. The primary reasons for failure of biomass power projects are changes in biomass fuel supply or demand and changes in fuel quality.

Fuel considerations that should be analyzed before embarking on a biomass power project include:

  • Typical moisture content (including the effects of storage options)
  • Typical yield
  • Seasonality of the resource
  • Proximity to the power generation site
  • Alternative uses of the resource that could affect future availability or price
  • Range of fuel quality
  • Weather-related issues
  • Percentage of farmers contracted to sell residues

Accuracy is of great importance in making fuel availability assumptions because miscalculations can greatly impact the successful operation of biomass power projects. If biomass resource is identifies as a bottle-neck in the planning stage, a power generation technology that can handle varying degrees of moisture content and particle size can be selected.

Technologies that can handle several fuels in a broad category, such as agricultural residues, provide security in operation without adversely affecting combustion efficiency, operations and maintenance costs, emissions levels, and reliability.

Consistent and reliable supply of biomass is crucial for any biomass project

Identification of potential sources of biomass fuel can be one of the more challenging aspects of a new biomass energy project. There are two important issues for potential biomass users:

  • Consistent and reliable biomass resource supply to the facility
  • Presence of harvesting, processing and supply infrastructure to provide biomass in a consistent and timely manner

Biomass as an energy source is a system of interdependent components. Economic and technical viability of this system relies on a guaranteed feedstock supply, effective and efficient conversion technologies, guaranteed markets for the energy products, and cost-effective distribution systems.

The biomass energy system is based on the following steps:

  • Biomass harvesting (or biomass collection of non-agricultural waste)
  • Preparation of biomass as feedstock
  • Conversion of biomass feedstock into intermediate products.
  • Transformation of intermediates into final energy and other bio-based products
  • Distribution and utilization of biofuels, biomass power and bio-based products.

The Specifics of A Shipping Container Environment

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The use of recycled shipping containers has found excellent footing in today’s society. There are so many different ways that the current modern system has created a new dichotomy of agriculture. If you are curious to understand the concept of the these containers and the specifics that come with them, keep reading!

Concept of Shipping Container Environment

This is the environment where old shipping boxes get used. They get planted crops and make sure that the food production would reach the market fresh and in the right order. There are many advantages to using such environment.

Advantages of Shipping Container Farming

A shipping container is an environment created to provide a complete farming experience and crop production system that aims to create a system that works all year round.

The yearly production is genuinely a pleasant experience as the countries can produce internally and importation of products as well as smuggling activities could be reduced.

The system uses an intelligent and super-efficient LED lights or grow lights that can substitute the sun’s rays. The entire container is equivalent to a farm that can produce up to two acres of crops.

The inside of the farm allows the produce to grow in an insulated environment that is around 40′ by 8′ by 9.5′. Most of the regions that would benefit from the farm system are the cold weather system countries. In these countries, producing food crops is a big problem. Shipping is also costly since importation is the only source of food.

With the use of farming containers, importation is cut down. The cost of using and maintaining a farming container is still cheaper by at least three times compared to the average consumption of most industrial food crop producers. It takes an average of kilowatts per hour of energy daily to maintain the farm. However, it is still more cost-effective to do it this way, especially for cold countries or those countries that have less agricultural lands available for them.

The price of obtaining a shipping container farm is not low. However, this price is worth the investment as the production is either increase or made possible. It is also more advantageous because it is less expensive to maintain a shipping container for him than one that is land-based or is naturally and agricultural land. On average, you should expect to spend around $50,000 to $85,000 to purchase one shipping container.

Some countries are considering requiring old shipping companies to donate or sell their old shipping containers to the governments in exchange for tax breaks. However, this policy is only a suggestion for most countries and is not yet get implemented.

Another great advantage of a shipping container for him is the fact that it is often compact. Because of its size or at least of its portability, there is a great advantage to it. It is easier to get transported from one place to another. It is also easier to have less footprint than using land-based crop production.

Zoning is also not a problem when it comes to containing her forms. Most of the companies that use this process can place their containers in both rural and urban areas. The reason behind this is the fact that there are no zoning laws against maintaining a repository in most areas.

Container farms also do not use new water. The creators of this modern technology got able to use recycled water to maintain the irrigation system within the container farms.

Vertical Growing: The Best Part of Container Farming

The best part of container farming is the fact that it uses a vertical system to grow the crops. Environmental sensors get used during the cycle of growth of the plants. These sensors allow for the farm system to control all of the essential factors in growing the crops.

The factors such as temperature, airflow, nutrient levels, humidity, as well as the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels get controlled.

The Future of Agriculture

Container farming can get considered as the future of agriculture. It provides for a modern and straightforward approach to crop production that reduces waste and cost for food suppliers. Importation could be a problem of the past for countries that are unable to produce their crops. However, since trade is a fundamental economic aspect of most countries, that will not fully illuminate the land-based agricultural production of crops.

Biogas from Agricultural Wastes

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The main problem with anaerobic digestion of agricultural wastes is that most of the agricultural residues are lignocellulosic with low nitrogen content. To obtain biogas from agricultural wastes, pre-treatment methods like size reduction, electron irradiation, heat treatment, enzymatic action etc are necessary. For optimizing the C/N ratio of agricultural residues, co-digestion with sewage sludge, animal manure or poultry litter is recommended.

Agriculture_Waste_Biogas

Types of Agricultural Wastes

Several organic wastes from plants and animals have been exploited for biogas production as reported in the literature. Plant materials include agricultural crops such as sugar cane, cassava, corn etc, agricultural residues like rice straw, cassava rhizome, corn cobs etc, wood and wood residues (saw dust, pulp wastes, and paper mill waste)

Others include molasses and bagasse from sugar refineries, waste streams such as rice husk from rice mills and residues from palm oil extraction and municipal solid wastes, etc. However, plant materials such as crop residues are more difficult to digest than animal wastes (manures) because of difficulty in achieving hydrolysis of cellulosic and lignocellulosic constituents.

Codigestion of Crop Wastes

Crop residues can be digested either alone or in co-digestion with other materials, employing either wet or dry processes. In the agricultural sector one possible solution to processing crop biomass is co-digested together with animal manures, the largest agricultural waste stream.

In addition to the production of renewable energy, controlled anaerobic digestion of animal manures reduces emissions of greenhouse gases, nitrogen and odour from manure management, and intensifies the recycling of nutrients within agriculture.

In co-digestion of plant material and manures, manures provide buffering capacity and a wide range of nutrients, while the addition of plant material with high carbon content balances the carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio of the feedstock, thereby decreasing the risk of ammonia inhibition.

The gas production per digester volume can be increased by operating the digesters at a higher solids concentration. Batch high solids reactors, characterized by lower investment costs than those of continuously fed processes, but with comparable operational costs, are currently applied in the agricultural sector to a limited extent.

Codigestion offers good opportunity to farmers to treat their own waste together with other organic substrates. As a result, farmers can treat their own residues properly and also generate additional revenues by treating and managing organic waste from other sources and by selling and/or using the products viz heat, electrical power and stabilised biofertiliser.

The Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Modernization

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Farming is a vital industry that is constantly changing to improve crop yields while minimizing the impact on the environment. The seven billion people on the planet need to eat, and the farms around the globe need to provide food while still being stewards of the land.

Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Modernization

Worries About Continued Environmental Damage

Innovative farming techniques continue to consider the environment, especially as the population grows. With many areas of the world being affected by global climate change, farmers need to learn how to accelerate their productivity.

Unfortunately, farming techniques have harmed the environment. Farmers need new techniques that protect the land and deliver respectable crop yields. Farming communities should evaluate their water usage, grazing land, and fertilizer choices to begin to reverse the damage done through the generations.

Making changes to environmental practices in the farming industry can help reduce climate change anxiety. With so much talk about rising sea levels and increased forest fires, people living with anxiety often worry about how farms will feed everyone on the planet. When farmers help take care of the planet, anxiety levels can drop.

Taking Care of Farmers

People who work on farms need to take care of themselves. Farming is hard work, so farmers should use stretches for sciatica to keep their backs and legs strong and flexible. Workers with healthy bodies have the peace of mind to develop solutions to protect the land from environmental damage.

compost-organic-waste-farming

The concept of safe food using organic waste generated compost is getting traction.

Farmers also need to take care of their physical and mental health. Unfortunately, too many farmers suffer from depression and other mental health issues. Sadly, they don’t reach out for help because mental health problems have a stigma in many farming communities.

If the people of the world expect farmers to make innovative changes to their techniques to protect the environment and feed the world, farmers must get the health care they need. It’s challenging to do a hard job when your body and mind are suffering.

Using Fertilizers Wisely

With synthetic fertilizers, farmers can increase the speed of their crop production. Modern farming communities have used synthetic fertilizers for generations, but these fertilizers have put too much nitrogen into farm fields. While this isn’t problematic for grains like corn, wheat, and rice, it is for other foods.

liquid fertilizer

The excessive levels of nitrogen in the soil don’t stay there. Unfortunately, the nitrogen washes into waterways and gets into the air. The nitrogen harms aquatic ecosystems and can cause toxic algae blooms that destroy the organic matter that feeds fish, animals, and people. Eventually, the waterways become dead zones, and nothing grows in them.

Because China manufactures and uses nitrogen-based synthetic fertilizers, many waterways are polluted and no longer provide fish and plants as they once did. The Gulf of Mexico has several dead zones from toxic algae blooms due to nitrogen fertilizer. These synthetic fertilizers release nitrous oxide, a dangerous greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. People, animals, and plants cannot thrive when too much nitrous oxide is in the atmosphere.

To improve the environment, farmers need to look for alternative fertilizers that do not damage ecosystems. Fertilizers need to improve the efficiency of crop yields without hurting other food sources.

Improving Irrigation Efficiency

Along with fertilizers, farms need fresh water. The majority of freshwater on the plant goes to the agriculture industry, and farmers use a plethora of techniques to get water and feed their plants. Sadly, many parts of the world have freshwater sources, making it more challenging for farmers to effectively feed their crops.

Diverting so much freshwater to farms is environmentally and economically taxing. Moving water can wreak havoc on the environment by creating areas that become oversaturated and other areas that dry out. Irrigation practices can also affect the weather, as evaporation from groundwater and irrigation channels becomes precipitation.

Irrigation practices can empty aquifers. It can also change coastlines and ecosystems. Farmers need to develop innovative methods to reduce the water needed to irrigate plants properly. They also need to consider the water they use to keep their animals hydrated. Water is a necessary commodity, but one that needs better regulation to protect the resource.

Conclusion

Farmers and stakeholders need to develop innovative techniques that protect the environment from damage from agricultural modernization.

Synthetic fertilizer negatively affects fresh and saltwater around the world. Farms need irrigation, but they need to change how they get water and use it. Without changes, the farming industry will suffer from irreversible damage from neglective practices and climate change.

Solar-Powered Pumps are Game-Changing for Agriculture

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The first thing that comes to mind when you hear solar power is a solar panel placed on a rooftop for creating electricity for commercial or residential use. However, solar power has another important function – to mine and deliver water to improve productivity. This is especially applicable in sunny nations like Australia and most countries in Africa since its main industry is agriculture. Still, their productivity is suffering since their fields don’t get sufficient irrigation. Though, using solar pumps, they can double or even triple their profits. These economic gains can improve the lives of many farming communities.

Importance of Water in Agriculture

Our lives depend on clean water. The developed countries can sometimes take water for granted, but the evolving economies understand the significance of this commodity. A solar pump is an ecological option to get water for the crops and deliver drinkable, clean water.

The founder and CEO of the British-American company Ignite Power, Yariv Cohen, confirmed that solar pumps brought more efficiency, leading to bigger disposable income and more employment. Farmers can now grow three seasons per year instead of one. So, disposable income increased by 20% to 30%.

60% of the Sub-Saharan Africa population is employed in agriculture. Therefore, agriculture is accountable for 60% of economic output. This is less productive than the other regions in the world since only a part of the farmland gets constant irrigation – just 6% across Africa. Most farmlands go without irrigation, so most farmers in Africa rely only on rain for the larger lands, while they take care of the smaller areas with manual effort.

What is Solar-Powered Pumping System

The solar-powered pumping systems include a solar panel array, which fuels an electric motor. The motor, in turn, fuels the surface pump. The water is pumped from the stream or ground into a storage tank, utilized to water crops. If the farmland is irrigated consistently with solar pumps, the farmers will double the production compared to farmlands irrigated by rainwater or with manual effort.

Life-changing mechanism

About 600 million who live in Africa don’t have consistent electricity access. This is damaging the economic health of the continent. Everyone knows the ideal solution is to expand the electrical grid, but financial and geographical considerations prevent that. Ignite Power provides off-grid solutions to African countries in rural places like Nigeria, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone.

Cohen explains how solar pumps allow the farmers to irrigate their lands by using the sun. They first connect the homes, and then they utilize the same solar panels to water the fields. Using solar power, the pump enables a big area to be regularly irrigated. This improves the yield affordably.

Ignite Power has 1.1 million customers in Africa. So, there is room for enormous growth for his company and other providers of solar power in the continent. Cohen aims to reach 500 million houses.

They work with the bank and try to find the ideal solutions. They want to provide the best solution for the country with the help of the government. They can connect any payment providers or manufacturers to their system. They can connect all the suppliers, so many people could join.

The case of the two Rwandan women Grace Uwas (23) and Tharcille Tuyisenge (20) is admirable. They started working with Cohen’s company and bought solar systems for homes in Rwamagana, so people there have sustainable and safe electricity. Until now, they have installed twenty-five solar systems and more are coming!

Bottom Line

Electricity is the quintessence for any country. The solar power is game changing for African evolving communities to get access. In this way, they won’t just keep their lights on, but their agricultural productivity will be improved.

Agricultural Sector and Environmental Laws in New Zealand?

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If you take a look at sector shortages in New Zealand, you’ll find that agriculture and farming is one of the sectors struggling the most. There are long term shortages in the industry, so what’s putting people off from investing in this type of career path?

Although agriculture has dwindled in popularity since technology took over, there are other factors contributing to its decline. In New Zealand, there are strong environmental protection laws in place which need to be followed.

Here, we’ll look at how the agriculture industry deals with environmental protection laws in New Zealand.

What do the environmental protection laws cover?

The environmental protection laws in New Zealand are some of the strictest in the world. The country has earned a reputation for its clean, beautiful landscapes. A lot of its tourism is driven by its cleanliness and thriving ecosystem. This means the government has needed to introduce strict environmental protection laws to ensure New Zealand retains its pristine reputation. These laws include:

  • Resource Management Act 1991
  • Conservation Act 1987
  • Environment Act 1986
  • Ozone Layer Protection Act 1996

These are just a small number of the regulations and laws pertaining to the environment. There’s also a large list of related laws in New Zealand, making it difficult for businesses to keep up. This is especially true for those working within agriculture and industrial sectors.

New Zealand’s rivers under serious threat

Although New Zealand has developed a reputation as one of the most environmentally friendly countries in the world, it’s rivers are currently under serious threat. The environment ministry claims that two-thirds of the country’s rivers are now deemed un-swimmable. Even more worrying is that three-quarters of all of the country’s freshwater native fish are under threat of extinction.

In a bid to tackle the problem, the government has announced a rather ambitious plan. They are aiming to see a noticeable improvement over five years. Freshwater protection plans are being drafted and are expected to be put into place by 2025. In the meantime, immediate interim controls have been introduced. Swimming pools will be subject to increased water quality standards. However, it’s the farming sector which is going to see the biggest changes in regulations.

How are the agricultural and industrial sector dealing with the laws?

The agricultural and industrial sectors are currently struggling with the change in legislation. Although the government has pledged $229 million NZD to help farmers transition to the new laws, there’s still a lot of challenges the sector needs to overcome.

Farmers need to stop risky farm practices, such as allowing cows to stray to nearby waterways. Cow manure is partially being blamed for the increase in river pollution. New irrigation practices will also be denied unless farmers can prove it won’t harm the environment. There’s a lot of new laws being introduced which are causing issues for farmers and the industrial sector. Those working within the sector would do well to seek advice from specialists such as RSM.

Overall, New Zealand is making its environmental protection laws stricter over the next five years. This is already having an impact on the agricultural sector. However, seeking professional advice can ensure those working within the sector understand and adhere to the new legislation.