Enhancing agriculture productivity using Solar Irrigation Technology: Soy beans farming in Namibia

An increasing global and African population has brought with it social ills and food insecurity. Due to these social problems, it has become increasingly important for farmers to innovate how they conduct farming activities in a way that allows them to produce more and better crop yields. Focusing on Namibia, a common problem related to farming is inconsistent irrigation water supply. The objective of this paper is to explore solar powered irrigation systems as a possible solution to provide sustainable irrigation water supply. Preliminary work was completed on five-hectares of Farm Lynkloof, Namibia in preparation to install a solar irrigation system. The irrigation system uses solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies to pump water for irrigation. Crops will be put under cultivation and water will be supplied by two irrigation systems; drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation. The paper, through literature, analyzed the performance characteristics of solar irrigation systems and found that these systems are much cheaper to use than grid electricity and present a sustainable source of year-round irrigation water to increase agriculture productivity.