AfTrak - Micro Electric Agriculture for Africa

AfTrak--一种专为非洲设计的微型电动拖拉机，用于机械化土地整备。根据国际能源署(IEA)的数据，超过8亿人没有可靠的电力供应，主要是在撒哈拉以南非洲和亚洲发展中国家的农村地区。然而，尽管有许多现有的举措，消除能源贫困仍然是一项艰巨的挑战，需要新的战略来实现这些雄心勃勃的目标。障碍包括高资本成本、能源需求预测困难、环境因素、盗窃和损坏。向农村社区铺设电网或微型电网连接往往受到社区可支配收入太低、无法购买足够的能源以吸引基础设施投资者的限制；AfTrak专注于提供显著的农业收入增长，为未来的能源推广铺平道路，同时为烹饪、电话充电和照明等关键应用提供社区电力。AfTrak系统是一种能够机械化土地整地的微型电动拖拉机。这种低成本的手扶拖拉机系统完全由太阳能供电，具有内置的电池存储，可以将土壤准备到400毫米深，并为农业应用提供电力，如灌溉和家庭应用，如手机充电、电力烹饪和照明。在马拉维的大片地区，几英寸的表土下有一层紧密压实的岩石坚硬的土壤。这在很大程度上是长期使用人工锄头、人和动物脚步以及偶尔使用重型机械造成的。植物的根一般不能穿透这一坚硬的层。空气和水也不能，这是支持良好农业的健康生活土壤所必需的。AfTrak系统与Tiyeni开发的一种名为深床耕作(DBF)的创新农业方法相结合。DBF重新设想了马拉维传统的耕作周期，该方法已获得马拉维农业部的批准，并显示出显著的增产效果。然而，DBF要求在产量增加之前的第一年大幅增加土地整备量。这造成了进入障碍，特别是对于那些缺乏家庭劳动的家庭(儿童、女性和年长的主要家庭)。结合AfTrak显著降低初始土地整备所需劳动力的能力，Tiyeni将能够以更高的速度教育社区并使其参与进来，同时还允许社区产生额外收入并获得能源。

AfTrak -- A micro electric tractor designed for Africa to mechanise land preparation.According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), over 800 million people have no reliable access to electricity, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and rural regions of developing Asia. However, despite many existing initiatives energy poverty eradication is a demanding challenge and requires novel strategies to meet the ambitious targets. Obstacles include high capital costs, difficulties with energy demand forecasts, environmental factors, theft & damage.The roll-out of grid or micro-grid connections to rural communities is often limited by the expendable income of a community being too low to purchase sufficient energy to be attractive to an infrastructure investor; AfTrak focuses on providing a significant agricultural revenue boost to pave the way for future energy rollout whilst simultaneously providing community power for key applications such as cooking, phone charging and lighting.The AfTrak system is a micro electric tractor capable of mechanising land preparation. This low-cost, walk-behind tractor system is powered entirely by solar, has built-in battery storage, can prepare the soil to a depth of 400mm and provides power for agricultural applications such as water irrigation and domestic applications such as phone charging, electric cooking and lighting.Across large areas of Malawi, under the few inches of topsoil, there is a heavily compacted layer of rock-hard earth. This is largely the result of long-term use of manual hoes, human and animal footfall, and occasionally heavy machinery. Plant roots cannot generally penetrate through this hard layer. Nor can air or water, which is necessary for the healthy living soils that support good agriculture.The AfTrak system has been coupled with an innovative agricultural methodology developed by Tiyeni called Deep Bed Farming (DBF). DBF reimagines the traditional Malawian farming cycle, the methodology has won approval from the Malawian Ministry of Agriculture and demonstrates a significant increase in yield. However, DBF requires a substantial increase in the amount of land preparation in the first year before an increase in yield is produced. This creates a barrier to entry, especially for those households with a deficiency in family labour (child, female, and elder lead households). Coupling the capabilities of AfTrak to significantly lower the labour required for the initial land preparation, Tiyeni will be able to educate and engage communities at a heightened rate, whilst also allowing the communities to generate additional income and gain access to energy.