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TRAILBLAZERS INVENT SMART IRRIGATION DEVICE
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A group of trailblazing students in Cambodia has accomplished an impressive achievement in agricultural technology.
Through meticulous research and development, they’ve designed a smart device that can facilitate automatic irrigation, earning them significant recognition and a gold medal in a international contest that brought together over 100 groups of students.
This technological triumph promises an agricultural revolution, embracing the era of smart farming.
The product of their innovation is not collecting dust in a laboratory or displayed solely as a prototype for academic grading. Instead, it’s being put to practical use, helping a local farmer irrigate its vegetable farm.
Spanning 25 acres, this farm has turned into a testing ground, demonstrating the real-world benefits of this smart irrigation system.
The transformation brought about by this innovation has resulted cost saving for the farmer by reducing labour requirements, and making the irrigation process more efficient.
Koy Borin, a 50-year-old farmer from Ou Rumchek village, tucked away in Kandal province’s Sa’ang district, is the pioneering user of this smart irrigation solution, which the student team has named “CAM-Smart Irrigation”.
It has radically improved his traditional farming methods, by saving time, water, and reducing the need of manual work.
The device is designed to detect soil moisture levels and provides immediate updates to Borin’s phone if his crops aren’t getting the required amount of water.
He able to control the irrigation system remotely by using his phone, allowing him to initiate the pump for precise watering.
Once the soil reaches the desired moisture level, the device sends an alert.
The group of students, including the founder, Neak Sokkim, and her team members, are more than just inventors; they are the problem solvers to Borin with this smart technology at no cost.
Before the team installs the device, Sokkim explained, a team of technicians assesses the water source, installs necessary electricity and water pipes, and setting up the mobile application for remote control.
The team of students developed this tool in response to numerous challenges faced by the farmers and their parents.
Sokkim shared that her team started developing the smart device in 2021. Through perseverance, they were successful in their endeavor.
In the same year, they clinched the top spot in the annual Bandos Digital Startup competition.
In 2022, they triumphed as winners of the SAAMBAT Digital Agriculture Accelerator Programme.
This year, they came in first in Business Model Competition Cambodia 2023.
Most recently, the team of students were awarded a gold medal in a competition organised by the National University of Management (NUM) and Business Model CAMBODIA, supported by various private institutions.
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