Anti Hail Netting Umbrella.
About the Practice
It can protect fruits form damage during hailstorm.
Detail:
There are many technologies/methods that are designed to protect crops/trees from Hail Storms. Anti-Hail Netting Umbrella also intends to be one in line but cost effective and reliable at the same time. The method works as:- Whenever a Hails Storm occurs a sensor senses it. This sensor gives an input pulse to the microcontroller. The microcontroller, along with other circuitry, opens a suitably designed umbrella. This umbrella is placed above the tree. The umbrella spreads over the entire tree, protecting it from Hail Storms and damage caused by it. The prototype works in two modes. A) Automatic Mode: In Automatic Mode, whenever the hail storms occur, the hail sensor senses the hail and automatically opens up the umbrella. The umbrella is closed automatically after the hail storm has stopped. The electricity used by this arrangement will be generated by solar panels. B) Manual Mode: Accurate weather forecasts, these days, are available on the internet. A person can get hourly weather forecast on his/her smartphone. If there is prediction of an imminent hail storm the farmer can open the umbrella manually by simply pressing the button of umbrella. The umbrella will get spread over the tree in just a fraction of a second. The umbrella can be closed manually once the hail storm has passed. In manual mode no electricity or Electronic circuitry is required making it energy efficient and reliable also. Our system offers a low cost, simple and reliable solution to the problem. The system is designed to be affordable for all. The potential markets of this type of system are- high density apple orchards, cherry orchards, pear orchards, peach orchards, plum orchards and all other “delicate fruit” orchards which get damaged easily due to hail storms. Method-I: The available methods of Anti-Hail Netting are either too expensive or too difficult to install. The “Automatic hail sensing and netting” used in U.S and Europe is very expensive. It covers the whole garden under a net supported by a steel structure. The cost of the system is too high for an average farmer. Moreover, sometimes the weight of the accumulated hail is good enough to collapse and shatter the entire structure. a) What our methods offers in contrast: - Our system automatically senses hail and opens up the umbrella. But what makes our system different is that unlike the above described system our system do not cover the whole garden. It covers trees only. The hail stones do not get accumulated over the umbrella. Thus the chances of getting collapsed are least. Method-II: Another method of Anti-hail netting is a method in which a Hail net is manually installed over the trees. This net is supported by long bamboo poles. This is very tedious process. It takes days or sometimes weeks to spread this net on trees. Moreover, the net need to be kept spread over the trees throughout the season. b) What our method offers in contrast: - As discussed earlier, in manual mode, our method offers a simple solution, the umbrella is opened just by a press of a button. The umbrella gets spread over the tree in just a fraction of a second. The umbrella need not to be kept open over a tree but can be opened just before an hour or two. In manual mode the farmer needs to install umbrellas only. The cost of this type of umbrella will be less and hence affordable.
About the Innovator
Address: Lawarmunda, Anantnag/Near J&K Bank Shopian
City: Srinagar
State: Jammu & Kashmir
PIN Code 192303
Email: sheikhirfanahmad@gmail.com , qnuman581@gmail.com
Contact No: 7006311272, 9149692102
Practice Details
Link: Our system offers a low cost, simple and reliable solution to the problem. The system is designed to be affordable for all. The potential markets of this type of system are- high density apple orchards, cherry orchards, pear orchards, peach orchards, plum orchards and all other “delicate fruit” orchards which get damaged easily due to hail storms
Manufacturing Capacity: a) Turnkey solution, b) Design Support
Problem Scale: The intensity of the problem is same locally and internationally. Lot of economic damage is caused by this disastrous and extreme weather condition.
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