Hyderabad: A personal farming struggle has sparked an innovation aimed at helping small-scale farmers. Ranadheer, a second-year MTech Mechanical Engineering student at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (JNTU-H), has developed a solar-powered seed sowing machine after witnessing persistent labour shortages on his father’s maize farm in Jagtial district. His father, Gangadhar, cultivates maize in Tulsinagar village, where delays in sowing due to limited workforce were directly impacting crop yield and the family’s livelihood.
“My father faced labour issues every season. I wanted to create a practical solution that could genuinely help,” said Ranadheer.
With mentorship from Dr. Chennakesava Reddy, Director of JNTU-H’s R&D department, Ranadheer designed a compact machine that harnesses solar energy to automatically sow seeds at consistent intervals—ensuring optimal spacing and significantly cutting down manual effort. The prototype is currently undergoing field trials.
Unlike traditional sowing methods that depend on fuel-powered equipment or labor-intensive processes, this solar-powered solution offers a sustainable, cost-efficient alternative—especially beneficial for farmers in remote areas with limited access to electricity.
