New machine to help farmers water their crops in the correct way

In December this year, Benson Muoki’s plans to launch his automated irrigation machine that enables farmers to water their plants appropriately. This follows a six-month research that the electronic engineer conducted in 2016 revealing that the most common challenge that farmers in four different counties faced was either over or under watering crops.

Mr Muoki carried out the research in Nyeri, Kiambu, Mombasa and Malindi counties from March to August 2016. He found out that plants in these counties were not receiving the 30mm to 40mm of water required by plants under irrigation as stated by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).

Mr Muoki invented a 21cm by 16 cm machine that does not exceed 35 per cent water content distribution. This makes it easier for farmers to avoid over- and under- flowing of water giving the plant the right amount it needs.

“The machine has two sensors at the base which can go six centimetres deep into the soil reaching the plants’ roots. This helps the sensors to detect the soil’s wetness level thus relaying it to the timer which determines the amount of water that the plants need and automatically starts irrigating, and when the water level is enough it turns off,” said Mr Muoki (below).

It also detects the type of crop to determine the amount of water required. One machine can serve one acre of land, if the farmer has planted only one type of crop. In cases of several types of crops on a piece of land, the farmer will need an extra machine to help run the irrigation as different crops require different amounts of water. Mr Muoki has put the machine on several tests in September and October 2017 in Nyeri and Nairobi respectively.

“The response from the farmers was positive as they emailed and called me saying that they would like to buy it,” he said.

To get started, the 56-year-old used Sh250,000, a grant from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. (JKUAT). The institution sponsored his project to buy basic components of the machine — a timer at Sh2,500, a relay at Sh1,500, a potentiometer for Sh350 and copper electrodes which he used to finish the design and research coordination of the machine in April 2017.

The remaining amount was used in software and body design.

Mr Muoki relied on research and his skills to come up with the invention, which he says will be sold for Sh47,000.

The engineer works with JKUAT’s Prof. John Mwibanda Wesonga, a specialist in horticulture and crop protection, sustainable agriculture and ICT and Prof. Martin Obanda, a specialist in plant bio-chemistry and enzymology.

He is also assisted by two other technologists: Irungu Bernard who constructed the software of the machine and Mungai Benson who constructed the body and component shoulder.

“The professors offer me advice on the sector and reply to some of the questions that we receive from farmers. On the other hand, the technologists help farmers in installing the machines and teach them how it operates,” said Mr Muoki.

- African Laughter