Use hydro-powered water pump to irrigate farms

Irrigating farms need not be expensive with a hydro-powered water pump, which taps the energy from flowing water close to the farms.

In Ilocos Norte, the effect of the dry months on farm production should not be a serious concern as many farms are close to water sources. However, pumping water from the source to the farm is expensive. With this problem, Reynaldo C. Castro and Mary Ann U. Baradi, researchers at the Philippine Rice Research Institute in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, designed and developed a hydro-powered water pump, which underwent a series of modifications. These resulted in three different prototypes all of which were tested in Padsan River, Sarrat, Ilocos, Norte along a river or confined canal.

A report submitted to the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) indicates that the final prototype of the hydro-powered water pump can pump 102.16 cubic meters of water per day in 24 hours. This is more than the water requirement of 81 cubic meters per day per hectare of corn.

Castro and Baradi said using the hydro-powered water pump for irrigating corn would entail a pumping price of only P0.35 per cubic meter per season per hectare, which is much lower than the P1.79 per cubic meter per season per hectare, usually incurred from using a three-horsepower engine-driven pump.

Unlike the engine-driven pump, pumping cost for the hydro-powered water pump can decrease further when used longer. The former uses fuel, making its pumping cost higher.

Furthermore, researchers said that the 10 farmer-observers during the tests found the use of the hydro-powered water pump convenient, financially affordable, simpler, and easier to fabricate and maintain. — Ofelia F. Domingo, S&T Media Service