Practica Foundation

Accessible and productive irrigation solutions

Small-scale irrigation is critical to ensuring local food security and adapting farming systems to the growing consequences of climate change. Even though the potential for irrigation is huge, the uptake of irrigation technology is often hampered by a lack of knowledge, accessible technologies and appropriate business models. PRACTICA aims to improve this situation by developing and promoting accessible and productive irrigation solutions, together with farmer associations and local enterprises. In addition, we support the creation of smart supply chains, service networks and finance solutions, to increase accessibility and reduce risks for smallholder farmers.

Supporting smallholder solar irrigation

Solar-powered irrigation offers clear benefits to farmers, including the absence of fuel dependency and a longer pump life span. However, conventional irrigation techniques and investment mechanisms do not provide an optimal context for the scale-up of solar irrigation. For example, in contrast to motor pumps, solar pumps run many hours a day, and need application methods that operate under low pressure. PRACTICA develops robust and affordable solar pumps and improves water application techniques, so optimized technical packages are created at reduced cost.

Solar pumps and efficient water application systems also provide a more gradual water delivery to the soil. This prevents soil erosion and nutrient leaching – which contributes to a more sustainable and higher production in the long run.

Matching water efficiency and productivity

Reducing the amount of water used while also maximizing the water productivity is a key topic in irrigation. Farmers are often only willing to invest in water-saving technologies if it increases their income. So when we introduced the low-cost water distribution technology known as ‘the Californian system’, and showed that it could save 30-40% of farm production costs, farmers started buying the pipes – without the need for outside financial assistance. The same happened after the introduction of spray tubes, which are selling rapidly and without subsidies. Practica develops and selects technologies that help farmers reduce their production costs ánd water consumption.

Innovating together with farmers and the private sector

The true irrigation experts are those that work their fields every day and skilful technicians are found in every village. PRACTICA works in close collaboration with farmer associations, technology manufacturers and rural technicians to develop, test, evaluate, fabricate and market smart irrigation technologies. This joint effort ensures that new technologies and business models fit in the local context.

We work with the private sector to put in place sustainable supply and service chains for the technologies we’ve developed. The SF pumps are manufactured by Futurepump Ltd in India and sold to distributors in over 15 countries. The pumps are sold with a 5 years warranty. The solar Volanta pumps are fabricated and sold by CSF in Burkina Faso. We also develop partnerships and business models with local service and finance suppliers, to enable more farmers to use our products.

Project examples

In the Niayes area in Senegal, groundwater for irrigation is increasingly inaccessible as conventional motor pumps cannot pump water beyond 8m depth. Affordable intermediate depth pumps could allow over 11,000 small-scale farmers to tap from this renewable resource and become less prone to the effects of climate change. In a pilot project funded by the World Bank in Senegal, PRACTICA has tested four different solar irrigation pumps together with farmers, in order to identify optimal solar solutions (water access, pumping and water application), including the durable commercial chains for the most appreciated packages.

In 2018 we have supported local entrepreneurs and partners in the installation of 112 solar pumps for farmers in Burkina Faso, Niger, Togo, Benin, Senegal, Madagascar and Mozambique. This support included a range of application systems including basins, hose pipes, different spray tube set-ups, mini pivots and drip. In Mozambique applied research with the local university and farmers has led to the development of four irrigation packages for sand rivers requiring an investment of less than 1000 USD for a borehole, pump, application system and agricultural inputs.