Problem Statement, Project Goal, and Objectives

Problem Statement

Afghanistan agriculture is reliant on importing bud-wood from other countries, which can be low quality or disease-ridden. Bud-wood is a section of the tree with vegetative buds used to propagate more trees. Our team will focus on creating a solar-powered, off-grid bud-wood orchard for use in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. This bud-wood will be used for propagating olive trees that thrive in that area. This orchard will be self-sufficient with on-site composting, irrigation systems, office, and power generation.

Project Goal

Design an off-grid, sustainable bud-wood-producing orchard, using solar power to pump water and irrigate, plant and sell cuttings, and produce compost while minimizing plant disease transfer.

Project Objectives

• Design a farm on a hectare of land.

• Use solar panels to generate electricity to pump well water and irrigate the orchard.

• Generate enough compost to apply to the trees on the hectare of land.

• Build an irrigation system that maximizes water efficiency, root development and minimizes loss to evaporation.