AfTrak - Micro Electric Agriculture for Africa

AfTrak -一种为非洲设计的微型电动拖拉机，用于机械化土地整理。据国际能源署（IEA）称，有8亿多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，尽管有许多现有的倡议，消除能源贫穷仍然是一项艰巨的挑战，需要新的战略来实现雄心勃勃的目标。这些障碍包括资本成本高、能源需求预测困难、环境因素、盗窃和损坏、向农村社区推广电网或微型电网连接往往受到限制，因为社区的可消耗收入太低，无法购买足够的能源，对基础设施投资者没有吸引力; 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，同时为烹饪等关键应用提供社区电力，AfTrak系统是一种微型电动拖拉机，能够机械化整地。这种低成本的手扶式拖拉机系统完全由太阳能供电，内置电池存储，可以将土壤准备到400毫米的深度，并为农业应用提供动力，如灌溉和家庭应用，如手机充电，电烹饪和照明。在马拉维的大片地区，在几英寸的表层土壤下，有一层非常压实的岩石硬土。这在很大程度上是由于长期使用手动锄头、人和动物的脚步声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。空气或水也不能，而这是支持良好农业的健康土壤所必需的。AfTrak系统与Tiyeni开发的创新农业方法相结合，称为深床农业（DBF）。DBF重新设想了马拉维传统的农业周期，该方法已获得马拉维农业部的批准，并显着提高了产量。然而，DBF要求在第一年大幅增加土地准备量，然后才能产生产量的增加。这就造成了进入的障碍，特别是对那些缺乏家庭劳动力的家庭（儿童、妇女和老年人主导的家庭）。结合AfTrak的能力，显著降低初始土地准备所需的劳动力，Tiyeni将能够以更高的速度教育和吸引社区，同时也允许社区创造额外的收入并获得能源。

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.