A number of lecturers and students from Makassar State University gathered in Lempangang Village, Gowa Regency, precisely in Balla Rewako (Village event activity center). They are members of the Community Partnership Program Team (PkM DRPM) which held community service activities for farmers on Saturday, August 21, 2021. The activity which carries the theme "Solar-Based Environmentally Friendly Rice Field Irrigation Pump" was welcomed by Lempangang Village Mr. H. Bohari Amin, SE.
In the event was also attended by the Secretary of the Institute of Research and Community Service (LP2M) UNM Mr. Prof. Dr.. Usman Mulbar, M.Pd. also gave a speech and opened the event. He revealed that "many community service activities that are classified by UNM are one of these activities that are very useful for farmers, especially the application of technology in carrying out their activities".
First in his speech, Mr. Head of Lempangang H. Bohari Amin, SE expressed his gratitude for having been visited by the Service Team of UNM Lecturers. "I am very grateful today because our village was visited by lecturers from UNM who brought training activities to install solar-based rice field irrigation pumps, just now our village was visited directly by the Professor before never" he said while responding to smiles and applause from participants.
In the material, the head of PkM Ir Team. Fitrah Asma Darmawan, S.Pd.,M.T., IPM. Explain one by one the components used and their functions. He occasionally pointed at the solar panels and continued his explanation. There are 4 solar panels used, 1 Dip Pump motor, and a controller that is used to receive and generate the voltage produced by solar panels.
Adding a more detailed explanation, Muhammad Akil, S.Pd., M.T. assisted by Khaidir Rahman, SP.d., M.Pd., as a member of the PkM Team explained the function and ability of the dipping pump at some types of well depth.
Enthusiastic farmers are increasingly interested after being given the opportunity to discuss the material that has been given. Some questions were raised by one of the participants who was also a village official (Head of Hamlet) including How much the price on each component used to make a pump based on solar panels. The question was responded to by the team leader.
As the tests of the tools took place, the farmers gathered to see the performance results of the pumps that had been connected to the controller and solar panels. Previously some students have done the process of assembling solar panels and controllers. The test was conducted on a pool of water that has enough water supply so that the pump can release water continuously during the demosntration of the tool.
The voltage generated by solar panels is also applied directly to the controller with a very dynamic value depending on how much sunlight is captured by the solar panels. The value sometimes drops when the surface of the solar panel gets a barrier from direct sunlight. This results in a decrease in the speed of the pump motor and the water released also decreases.
The plan is that the pump will be given to farmers and lagsung installed in rice fields. "The installation process will be carried out while waiting for the completion of the manufacture of iron frames occupied by solar panels and controllers," fitrah said.