PEPSEE SYSTEMS: Grassroots' Innovation Under Groundwater

Stress

Shilp Verma Stanzin Tsephal

Tony Jose

Pepsee System of Irrigation

Pepsee System of Irrigation

Pepsee system is a low cost alternative of drip irrigation system (DIS). It does not require micro tube or emitter to place water directly to the root zone instead the lateral, which is called pepsee a light-weight plastic pipes used for making ice candy locally called “Pepsee”, is placed directly to the root zone of the plants.

Pepsee and Micro-tube Irrigation System Components

• Pepsee– PVC Pipe 2 inch– Valve (2 inch)– Filter (optional)– GTO– Jointer– Accessories (include

'L' bow, end cap etc)

• Micro-tube– PVC Pipe 2 inch – Valve (2 inch) – Filter – GTO– Jointer– Accessories

(include 'L' bow,, end cap etc)

Lateral (12 mm) and micro tube, (Rs.3,800/acre)

Pepsee Straw (Rs. 780/acre)

Context

– Rapidly depleting of water table in last two decades

– The recurrence of drought like situation – During summer water is available for very less

time.– Summer crop is very important for farmer– Latent demand for water saving technologies

Only Rich farmer could afford Drip

Micro Tube

Still it was beyond the reach of poor farmers

Pepsee So, there was great need

for same technology at low cost

Rs.20,000/acre

Rs.7,000/acre

4,000/acre

Objectives

• To study the Pepsee system, its history and spreadTo study the Pepsee system, its history and spread

• To make a comparative Technical/Financial study of To make a comparative Technical/Financial study of Pepsee system with Micro-tube/drip and Flood system of Pepsee system with Micro-tube/drip and Flood system of irrigation irrigation

• To study the condition and factor that lead to successful To study the condition and factor that lead to successful adoption of pepsee system.adoption of pepsee system.

• To suggest the social marketing strategy for mass To suggest the social marketing strategy for mass promotion of pepsee system of irrigation.promotion of pepsee system of irrigation.

Methodology

• Farmer Survey • Focus Group Discussion • Interviews with Retailers and Manufacturers • Participatory Rural Appraisal• Farm Management concepts were used to check the

financial viability of Micro-tube and Pepsee system of irrigation

Sampling Plan

• Two Districts were selected purposively on the basis of spread of pepsee

•West Nimar (Madhya Pradesh)•Jalgaon (Maharashtra )

• District was divided into four geographical region•East,West, South and North

• Each region was divided into three segments– Pepsee adopters – Micro-tube/Drip adopters– Non-adopters

Sampling Distribution

Segments West Nimar Jalgaon Total

Pepsee adopters 30 30 60

Micro-tube adopters 30 30 60

Non-adopters 30 30 60

Total 90 90 180

Spread of pepsee system

Source of irrigationPepsee adopter Micro tube

adopter Non adopter

W J W J W J

Open well 90 67 60 30 10 15Tube well 10 33.33 37 70 0 0Rain fed 0 0 0 0 77 85Canal 0 0 0 0 14 0

7.40 8.10 7.62 9.60 3.60 5.02

AVERAGE LAND HOLDING

20 15 24.50 22.50 14.60 9.70

YEILD

Adopters and non-adopters ProfileFigures are indicated in percentage

02040

6080

100

Wat

ersa

ving

Elec

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ving

Labo

ursa

ving

Bette

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ion

Bette

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ality

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eryi

eld

Less

wee

ds

West Nimar

Jalgon

Advantages

87

63

43 40

53

30

43

0

93

50

30 30

53

103

10

0102030405060708090

100Li

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labo

urre

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ater

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Low

pres

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High

wat

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essu

re

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Fly

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Alg

ae

Maikaal

Jalgon

Disadvantages

6.67

36.50

13.33

98.3376.67

0.0010.0020.0030.0040.0050.0060.0070.0080.0090.00

100.00

Energysaving

High Yield LabourSaving

Watersaving

Cheaperthan drip

Reason for purchase of pepsee

51.67% 48.33%

21.67%15.00%

5.00%13.33% 13.33% 10.00%

0.00%10.00%20.00%30.00%40.00%50.00%60.00%

Cos

tly

No

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ilyav

aila

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inth

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arke

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Fly

away

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muc

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form

atio

n

Reasons for not purchasing

Impact of Pepsee systems

• Cropping pattern – Enable them to take summer crop– Chances for Rabi crops West Nimar Jalgaon

Pepsee adopter Non-adopters Pepsee adopter Non-adopters 30 2 28 4

• Crops – Better quality– Higher Yield – Less prone to pest attack

Impact of pepsee systems on pumpage

• Pepsee used only before monsoon

Methods of irrigation

Numbers of irrigation

Hours of irrigation/acre

Total

Pepsee system

18 0.42Hrs 7.5Hrs

Flood system 3 5 15Hrs

• Total notional savings of 7.5 Hrs/acre, before monsoon (50%)

Impact of pepsee systems on area under cultivation

Average incremental area under cultivation due to adoption of pepsee is 2.2 acre

Impact of pepsee systems on water level

Adoption of pepsee system do not save water but it leads to efficient utilization of water

However if farmers start using pepsee after rain, then there will be water saving

Cost of Micro-tube

Items Unit Rate/Unit Qty Require ValueLateral 12mm Mtr 1.70 1,750.00 2,975.00Micro Tube 03mm Mtr 0.30 2,750.00 825.00Filter No 1,200.00 1.00 1,200.00Valve 2inch No 200.00 2.00 400.00GTO No 1.50 50.00 75.00Jointer No 0.75 25.00 18.75PVC Pipe 2inch No 160.00 10.00 1,600.00Accessories (include 'L' bow, salution,FTA,MTA, end cap etc) No 350.00cost of installation Man days 40.00 3.00 120.00

7,563.75

Cost of Pepsee

Items Unit Rate/Unit Qty Require ValueLateral (pepsee 16mm) kg 65.00 12.00 780.00Filter No 1,200.00 1.00 1,200.00Valve 2inch No 200.00 2.00 400.00GTO No 1.50 100.00 150.00Jointer No 0.75 15.00 11.25PVC Pipe 2inch No 160.00 10.00 1,600.00Accessories (include 'L' bow, thread, end cap etc) No 150.00Cost of installation Man days 40.00 4.00 160.00Total 4,451.25Total after deducting cost of filter 3,112.50

Financial Analysis

IRR (%) NPV (RS.) BCR PBPCost A,B,C A,B,C A,B,C A,B,CPepsee 42,35,18 5760, 4390,1107 1.51, 1.41, 1.10 2.36-3

Micro-tube

40,39,28 9057, 8791,4982 1.82, 1.80, 1.43 2.16-3

•Both Micro-tube and Pepsee is financially feasible •Micro tube is financially sounds better than pepsee

Financial Indicators of PIS and MIS

Financial analysis

• why the farmers still adopt pepsee irrigation system when they have choice of micro-tube which technically and financially better than pepsee

• why micro-tube inspite of the technical and financial feasibility, its large scale and fast adoption is not so encouraging in India

Most Prominent Reasons Drip-irrigated area is not more than one

percent.– High initial investment – less access to basic finance– Lack of information

Dhawan B D, Drip irrigation, Economic and Political weekly, October, 1999

Supply chain of pepsee

PLASTIC WHOLESALER / RETAILER AGRI IMPLEMENTWHOLESALER

PLASTIC MANUFACTURER

AGRI IMPLEMENT RETAILER

FARMER

STRENGTH WEAKNESS

•Low cost

•Low initial investment

•Risk spread over number of years

•Skill requirement is less

•Shifting to micro tube and drip is

technically feasible

•Less transportation and storage

problem

•Limited life period & delicate

•High labour requirement

•High replacement cost of pepsee

•Cannot withstand high pressure of

flow of water

•Unequal distribution of water

OPPORTUNITY •Scope for improvement

•Latent demand for water saving

•Involvement of agencies for

replication / spreading

•Manufacturing process is

available everywhere

•Changes in system of electricity

billing

THREAT •Non standardization in product

•Non performance of early

adopters

•Decreasing price of micro tube

and drip

•Environmental problems with

polythene

•Easy and soft availability of

finance

IDE’s PEPSEE- “EASY DRIP”

• Involved in pepsee for last one year – trying to create a brand

• Mainly involved in creating linkages • Making standardized product of 125

micron thickness – Black Pepsee (LLDPE)• Coming up with combination of micro

tube with pepsee which is more effective • Focus is on vegetables and spreading

into other parts in Maharashtra

Suggestions for IDE • Price is the USP of pepsee and attempt to

increase the price will seriously affect the adoption

• The standardization of product is very important • IDE focus should be to create volume • Preservation of technology with a focus on

product development• A warranty of pepsee for one crop season during

the first year of introduction• Field demonstration is a necessity for replicating

it new places• Early adopters should be progressive farmer but

from targeted segment• System should be supplied through agricultural

implements shop

How we are looking at Pepsee

Pepsee is catering to a segment which cannot afford micro tube and drip irrigation, and to the farmers who are aware but not convinced about the potential benefits of micro/drip irrigation.

How we are looking at Pepsee Pepsi system in itself is not a complete substitute for drip / micro tube irrigation, as when the economic condition of farmers improves, he will shift to micro-tube, then to drip, so it could be used as stepping stone and a tool to promote more efficient drip irrigation technologies at large scale in long-run

Thank You!