For Immediate Release

IA Announces 2002 Innovative Irrigation Ideas & Technologies
Contest Winner and Finalists

Falls Church, VA‚The winner and finalists of the Innovative Irrigation Ideas & Technologies Contest were named at the Irrigation Associationís (IA) 23rd Annual International Irrigation Show during the annual Awards & Keynote Breakfast on Friday, October 25, 2002 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. The competition focused on the best irrigation technologyóequipment, management tool, or fully developed research workóaimed at the worldís small agricultural holders.

The contest returned for a second year as a feature of the three-day show. Specific contest objectives were to 1) increase public awareness of the need for innovative irrigation technologies for poor smallholders in developing countries 2) encourage individuals, irrigation supply industries, and research institutes to develop irrigation technologies appropriate and affordable for smallholders, and 3) identify new technologies that the World Bank and others in the development community can promote.

The contestóendorsed by The World Bank, International Programme for Technology and Research in Irrigation and Design/Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (IPTRID/FAO), The Irrigation Association, International Development Enterprises, and Winrock Internationalóreceived entries from around the world competing for the $5,000.00 prize contributed by Winrock International.

Judging criteria included:

• Affordability and cost-to-benefit relationship
• Novel or creative approach
• Ease of application or operation, maintenance simplicity and durability
• Practicality in improving smallholder capabilities
• Ability to replicate in wide range of areas

Rex Dixon, 2001-2002 IA President hosted the ceremonies. Herb Blank, a consultant representing Winrock International, and Fernando Gonzalez, representing The World Bank, presented a $5,000.00 check to Martin Fisher, Co-Founder and Technical Director of ApproTEC (Appropriate Technologies for Enterprise Creation), Kenya for its MoneyMaker-Plus Pump.

Innovative Irrigation Ideas & Technologies Winner & Finalists

$5,000.00 Prize Winner: MoneyMaker-Plus [Treadle] Pump
Submitted by: Martin Fisher, Co-Founder & Technical Director, ApproTEC
Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya
Website: www.approtec.org
Email: approtec@approtec.org .

Since 1991, ApproTEC has developed and promoted new technologies that are being used by thousands of entrepreneurs in East Africa to establish profitable small-scale businesses. The new technologies are designed to be profitable to use, affordable to buy, easy to operate with minimum training, durable and easy to maintain, and because electricity and fuel are generally expensive and labor is cheap, most are manually operated. Products are also designed so they can be locally mass-produced in Africa.

Due to the demand for an even lower cost pressure irrigation pump, ApproTEC added the MoneyMaker-Plus pump to its line in July 2001. This very small, leg-operated pump has only one piston and one cylinder, but can still pull water from 23 feet (7m) deep, has a total pumping head of over 69 feet (21m) and can be used to irrigate as much as 1.5 acres of land. 2,400 of these pumps have been manufactured in local shops and sold through an innovative marketing program under ApproTECís supervision. Currently, 150 pumps per month are selling in Kenya. According to detailed impact studies, average pump buyers have increased their net farming incomes by a factor of over 11, from $104 to $1,162. The MoneyMaker-Plus retails in Kenya for 2,990 KSh or $38 US.

Finalist, 2nd Place: Floppy Sprinkler
Submitted by: Johann Hiemstra, President, Floppy Sprinkler (Pty.) Ltd.
Headquarters: Nelspruit, South Africa
Website: www.floppysprinkler.com
Email: info@floppysprinkler.com

Floppy Sprinkler is a new generation sprinkler that works completely different from any other sprinkler. The principle is that a flexible silicone tube held in an upright position does all the work. When water passes through the flexible tube it snakes to and fro while rotating 360o, forming uniform droplets similar to rain with little or no mist formation. It has no moving parts and it can handle silt laden water, which has practically no adverse affect on the silicone nozzle. Due to its unique design it creates practically no reactionary forces, which make it possible to mount it on lightweight risers high above a crop. Each sprinkler is fitted with a flow controller, controlling the flow regardless of pressure. Among the benefits Floppy Sprinkler offers small-field irrigators: applicable to different crops, steep-slope irrigation, wind resistance, minimal evaporation, no moving parts for ease of maintenance, and more

Finalist, 3rd Place: Improved Low-head Drip Kits for Very Small Farms
Submitted by: Stephen Ngigi, University of Nairobi
Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya

Assembled from materials manufactured in Kenya, the original Dream Kit design (which tied for third place last year) has been modified based on user feedback to improve efficiency and to address farmers needs. The smallest unit, a 20-litre (5-gallon) bucket system has remained with most of its original characteristics except for improved leak-free fittings and flexible lateral and emitter spacing. It consists of a bucket mounted on a simple wooden stand 0.8m above the ground to ease refilling. A clear hose which allows easy detection and release of airlocks connects the bucket to an 18mm diameter PVC header that serves four 7.5-meter long laterals, preferred by most farmers with kitchen gardens.

The largest unit, a 200-litre tank kit, has also been progressively improved with regards to leakage prevention and the inclusion of a plastic mini-tank. The lower end of the connector from the tank to the 32mm header is fitted with a double screen-filter and a silt-trap that have removable end plugs for cleaning and draining. There are ten 15-meter long laterals, and the lateral and emitter spacing are flexible. The laterals are 0.5-inch LLDPE pipe with internal filter/emitters to minimize clogging.

Dream Kits are affordable. The 20-liter bucket kit sells for $15 and the 200-litre tank kit at $125. Socio-economic surveys revealed that within a 3-month vegetable growing season, it is practical to attain up to a four-to-one Benefit/Cost Ratio.

Finalist, 4th Place: Total Drip System Approach for Smallholders
Submitted by: M.S. Sudhakar, Senior Manager-Projects, Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd.
Headquarters: Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India
Website: www.jains.com
Email: jisl@jains.com

The Total Drip System Approach for Smallholders included the development, marketing, and after-sales service of low-cost drip systems designed for small fields. To reduce costs, an innovative low-cost three layer lateral pipe was developed with outer and inner walls of standard grade (LLDPE) polyethylene and a core of low-cost environmental stress/crack resistant polyethylene. The smallholder systems are equipped with drip emitters that can be easily opened for cleaning. Special screen filters that can be conveniently flushed were developed for very small systems and systems supplied from wells.

A low-cost ìsingle tankî media filter with a backwash assembly fitted with a small plastic screen filter (rather than having a second expensive media tank for backwashing) was designed for larger smallholder systems supplied from surface water sources.

Additional low-cost features include: simple grommet lateral take-offs, plastic control and foot valves, a sub-main flush valve, small (30 liter) fertilizer tanks, and simple low-cost tools for installing the systems. The development of the Total Drip System Approach for Smallholders is regarded as having been the main driver leading to an estimated 500,000 hectares (1,250,000 acres) of drip irrigation serving roughly 250,000 small farms in India.

For more information about the Irrigation Association, its annual show and conference, and additional award recipients, visit www.irrigation.org .

Since 1949, Irrigation Association (IA) members have led the advance in water-use efficiencies to create smarter solutions for agricultural, residential and commercial landscape irrigation. The IA is comprised of industry professionals from both public and private sectorsóresearchers, technicians, manufacturers, distributors, dealers, system designers, consultants, installers, and contractorsóall dedicated to assisting the irrigation community develop and effectively utilize our most vital resource.