Solar-Powered Maize Irrigation in Senegal: Water Usage Reduction One Year On

Recent advancements in solar technology have led to the development of innovative irrigation systems for agricultural applications, particularly in arid regions like Senegal where water scarcity is a significant challenge. The research involved deploying a total of 15 solar-powered irrigation units across three different farms in Senegal. Data collection included daily water usage measurements and meteorological data for analysis. Initial results indicate that the solar-powered systems have reduced maize irrigation water usage by approximately 23%, with no significant variation in crop yield when compared to traditional methods. The findings suggest that solar-powered irrigation is a viable solution for addressing water scarcity issues in Senegalese agriculture, particularly suitable for small-scale farmers who can afford the initial investment of $100 per unit. Further research should focus on scaling up the technology to larger farms and exploring potential economic incentives or subsidies to encourage wider adoption. Maize Irrigation, Solar Power, Water Usage Reduction, Senegal Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.