ICRISAT Secures Its First Industrial Design Grant for Its Solar-Powered Water Hyacinth Harvester

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.”