Kambala – Low-cost hydroponic innovation | Fusion - WeRIndia

An Agri-tech startup, Hydrogreens designed a low-cost hydroponic innovation, Kambala to resolve the fodder crisis in the country.

Hydrogreens is a Bengaluru-based startup. It was founded by Vasanth Kamath and Jeevan M to empower small and marginal farmers.

Vasanth is an enthusiast of agriculture. He interacted with many small and marginal farmers in several states of the country and came to know that agriculture has many constraints. In addition to the recurring droughts and changing climate, fodder shortage is a severe problem in India.

Then Vasanth decided to explore a sustainable solution for farmers and came up with an innovative solution, Kambala.

The structure of Kambala resembles a large refrigerator. It occupies a ground space of 3 X 4 feet with a length of 7 feet.

It consists of 7 racks, each for a day in the week. Each rack has four trays to add nearly 700 grams of high-protein seeds of maize or wheat in any day of the week.

The insides of the racks are connected with micro-sprinklers to spray water as per the requirement. It is connected to a power source.

Kambala machine requires less amount of water than that is required for traditional cultivation.

The machine can generate 25 to 30 Kg of fodder per day and can create adequate fodder for 4 or 5 cows in a week.

The machine is enclosed in a black net cover to protect the growing fodder from excess heat. Thus, the machine can be installed in areas like Rajasthan where there is a high temperature in the daytime.

It consumes less electricity with a bill amount of less than ₹70 per year. Normal Kambala machine is available for ₹30,000 while the solar-powered machine is available for ₹45,000. Several farmers are using it and they are happy about the Kambala machine.

Image Credit: Icar Website Screenshot

Image Reference: https://icar.org.in/content/start-%E2%80%99s-low-cost-hydroponic-innovation-%E2%80%9Ckambala%E2%80%9D-icar-nianp-bengaluru-address-green-fodder