ICRISAT Secures Its First Industrial Design Grant for Its Solar-Powered Water Hyacinth Harvester
Media Release
Hyderabad, India—ICRISAT was granted its first industrial design in India for a Solar-Powered Water Hyacinth Harvester developed by a team of scientists. The harvester is simple, affordable, and can be efficiently managed by semi-skilled or unskilled personnel.
The solar-powered equipment, designed and fabricated in-house, is an affordable solution priced at under ₹200,000, making it ideal for rural farming communities that cannot afford sophisticated machinery costing 10 times as much. It offers substantial benefits, including 50–60% savings in cost, time, and labor, while prioritizing using clean energy.
Water hyacinth infestations in rural ponds disrupt ecosystems, harm fisheries, and block canals. Their rapid growth and long-lasting seeds make eradication difficult. Just 8–10 plants can proliferate into over 600,000 plants within 6–8 months.
Chemical and biological removal of the weed have proved expensive and effective only in the short term. The only way to control the weed sustainably is through periodic harvesting, either manually or mechanically.
Dr Stanford Blade, Director General-Interim of ICRISAT, commended the team behind the mechanical harvester, stating, “Water hyacinth infestation is a global environmental challenge. This cost-effective harvester reflects ICRISAT’s dedication to creating environment-friendly solutions tailored to the needs of rural communities that are also technologically and economically sustainable.”
Turning Waste into Wealth
ICRISAT’s harvester, categorized as agricultural machinery, was developed as part of the project "Sustainable Valorisation of Water Hyacinth Biomass through Aerobic Composting as a Rural Enterprise—A Waste to Wealth Initiative," supported by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment, Government of Odisha, India.
“Experiments conducted by ICRISAT demonstrate that 72,000 kg of water hyacinth biomass can be mechanically harvested from a 3-acre (1.2-hectare) pond in just 2–3 days by a team of two or three people. In contrast, manual harvesting requires 10–20 laborers and takes 18–20 days to complete,” said Dr ML Jat, Research Program Director of Resilient Farm and Food Systems, ICRISAT.
The high moisture content of the biomass necessitates decentralized processing.
“Local stakeholders, especially women self-help groups (SHGs), can play a key role in converting biomass into compost, fish feed, or handmade paper. These women-led enterprises can generate alternative livelihoods and boost inland fisheries, creating significant socio-economic and environmental impacts,” said Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Government of Odisha.
The people behind the innovation
Dr Aviraj Datta, the project's principal investigator, led the development of the harvester, ably supported by ICRISAT staff Dr Mangi Lal Jat, Dr Ramesh Singh, Mr Hari Om Singh, Mr Santhosh Kumar Raja, Mr Yogesh Kumar, and Mr Jinith Mahajhan.
The ICRISAT Intellectual Property (IP) office facilitated the evaluation and filing of the application with the Design Registry, India, ensuring due diligence throughout the process.
This work aligns with SDGs 1, 5, 13, 15 and 17.
