Wind pump irrigation: A potential strategy vs El Niño

El Niño remains a threat to Philippine Agriculture. So we have to think of ways to insure that there will be available water supply for agricultural crops. Installing wind pump irrigation systems around the country especially in drought-prone areas is one way of beating the heat and reducing the stress on coconut, corn, and sugarcane production.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reports that Mindanao, Southern Cebu and Bohol, Negros and Panay Islands, Mindoro, Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon, the Cagayan Valley and the Cordillera Autonomous Region top the list of highly vulnerable areas.

Thus, the installation of wind pump irrigation system in many parts of the country becomes handy because the Philippines’ geographical location places it right in the path of strong winds.

Farmers will benefit from using wind pump for irrigation purposes. It eliminates the use of imported fossil fuel which is generally expensive. Also, it ensures a year-round supply of water especially during windy periods.

The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCARRD) presents two systems of irrigation when farmers use the wind pump. These are the surface irrigation system and the pressurized irrigation system. This particular information came from a study conducted by Prof. Alexis T. Belonio of the Central Philippine University (CPU), Iloilo City.

For surface irrigation, the wind pump is directly used with a small farm reservoir or a concrete tank. This setup is applicable for rice production or vegetable crops wherein a large volume of water is necessary at a short period.

For pressurized irrigation, the wind pump lifts water from a well to a pressure tank and stores it to operate a drip irrigation or sprinkler irrigation system. This setup is more appropriate for orchard farms, fruit trees and other crops. Micro-sprinklers can also be used for this system to supply water to cut flowers in greenhouses or to nursery seedlings.

According to Prof. Belonio, the wind pump irrigation system is suitable either for individual, group of farmers, farmers’ cooperative, large corporate farms, or even government experiment stations. He said the wind pump irrigation system is environment-friendly. No manual operation during stormy periods, and there is no risk of losing the machine even if it is installed and left in the field.

The required investment cost is P60,000 (1999 price estimates) for the wind pump with 3.2m rotor diameter; P6,500 for the drilling; and P20,000-P60,000 for the tanks or reservoirs and other irrigation facilities such as drippers and sprinklers. –S&T Media Service