A West African country, Niger is located in the heart of the Sahel. Agriculture remains and remains the main economic activity to combat food insecurity and achieve food self-sufficiency in Niger. Indeed, the very severe ecological and climatic conditions constitute the problems which hamper this activity. They result in a considerable drop in agricultural and pastoral production. This situation is accentuated by strong demographic growth which leads to the food deficit [1] (Zakaria et al., 2021).

However, the production of market garden crops comes to fill the food deficit recorded each year during the rainy season. However, for sustainable development and good agricultural practice, it is necessary to have control and rational management in terms of irrigation water, which necessarily involves the techniques used to mobilize water or means of dissemination. Dewatering including the Solar Kit, the improved pulley system, the motor pump unit (GMP) using gasoline or gas as energy sources.

In Niger, the main sources of water pumping energy used at most market gardening sites and community sites are gasoline, gas and solar. But the areas planted with these irrigated systems (small-scale irrigation) are very minimal compared to large-scale hydraulics on public irrigated areas with total water control [2] (Ehrnrooth et al., 2011). Unfortunately, due to the dilapidation of these developments, especially the hydraulic infrastructures, production is far from being satisfied. Today, agricultural policy is focused on their rehabilitation, otherwise during the last three (3) decades, the emphasis was placed on small-scale irrigation [3] [4] (World Bank, 2009, Ministry of Agriculture, 2015) reported by Assoumana [5] (2021).

The latter is done in the vicinity of surface water (river, pond, etc.) or with groundwater in the most remote areas where irrigators use several sources of energy which are within their reach for the mobilization of water intended for irrigation [6] [7] (Wydra et al., 2019a; Wydra et al., 2019b). The most common energy sources used by irrigators are thermal energy based on fossil fuels, photovoltaic energy, wind energy and biomass energy [8] (Shinde et al., 2015). Thus, the chosen energy system must first demonstrate its competitiveness vis-à-vis other systems for the same service provided. Its credibility must be based on economic and technical bases [9] (Mohamed Lamine et al., 2021).

The aim of this study is to carry out an investigation into two means of dewatering for the mobilization of water for the purposes of irrigated production on the market gardening sites of the Taddis valley. These means of drainage to be studied are: Solar Kit and Motor Pump Group (GMP).

The Solar Kit is made up of photovoltaic cells (solar panels) which allow it to generate electric current when the sun’s rays hit it. These solar panels are mounted on the roof or at a height from the ground [1] (Zakaria et al., 2021). As for the Motopompe Group (GMP) is an agricultural machine made up of a heat engine connected to a centrifugal pump and which is used to suck up water from a given point (a source) to pump it towards a plot to be irrigated [10] (Yvon Régis., 2005).

This study presents a comparative study of the means of dewatering the solar pumping system and the motor pump unit at the market garden site of the Taddis valley.

Despite its higher initial cost compared to the GMP pump set, the solar pumping system would be a good alternative for producers on the said valley site. This study, which deals with the analysis of two means of dewatering on irrigation and their socio-economic performance by the producers, made it possible to arrive at results from the site. It appears from the observation in the field that there are more irrigators who use GMP more than the solar pumping device. Indeed, the results of the study show that 74% of producers use the motor pump unit compared to 26% of those who use the solar pumping system. This is due to the fact on the one hand that the solar pumping system is a new technology for irrigators in the Tiddis valley. And on the other hand, the lack of control of this new means of drainage.

This corroborates the work of DARE [11] (1993) in Burkina Faso. According to the author, farmers prefer solar because GMP generates a financial effort 50% more than solar pumping. These results are also similar to those obtained by [12] SEOUSSOU (1993) in Burkina Faso and [13] ABBASSI in Algeria in 2017. It showed that irrigators choose solar rather than the pumping system with GMP. This choice is justified by the low maintenance requirements and reliability offered by the solar pumping system compared to the pumping system with the GMP which has the only advantage that it gives an observed flow according to the irrigators. For ABASSI, he showed that the photovoltaic solar energy pumping technique seems to be the best and least expensive after 20 years in addition to that it has several advantages in its favor, in particular: Low operating cost (limited to maintenance and repair), low periodic cost, little mandatory regular maintenance, Low and easy maintenance.

Regarding the flow rate coming from two pumping systems, the flow rate is high when the installation is new and in addition depends on the sunshine for solar. These results are close to the work of [14] Mohamed Lakhdar (2008) in Algeria where he showed that the flow rate is a function of the characteristics of the pumping system and its condition and degree of sunshine. In relation to the forces and constraints, we have seen in this study that for the solar system, it presents a significant investment cost, very low maintenance and a low operating cost. On the other hand, the system with a motor pump unit, the investment cost is low, but the upkeep and maintenance costs are relatively high.

This confirms the results obtained in Algeria by [15] Bouzidi et al., (2006). Indeed, according to the author, the two pumping systems studied have advantages and disadvantages. The photovoltaic system has a high investment cost, very low maintenance and a low operating cost. On the other hand, the system with a generator has a relatively low investment cost, but a relatively high operating, upkeep and maintenance cost. He adds that these advantages and disadvantages must be taken into consideration when an investment is to be made.

This work was devoted to a comparative study between two means of dewatering: solar pumping system and GMP in the market gardening site of the Taddis valley. From this comparison, it clearly emerges that the solar pumping system presents undeniable advantages from a technical point of view such as the durability of the system (high reliability), operating costs (fuel) or running costs are obviously zero. There remains, however, a low or average portion for the maintenance costs. This composition is completely different in the case of fossil fuels (GMP) where the costs due to depreciation are low while the costs of fuel, operation and maintenance are preponderant. In addition, the Motopompe Group, its ease of use and operation, stability and independence of flow in relation to time are assets. The application example that we used to better understand each of the water mobilization techniques intended for irrigation showed us that GMP seems to be less expensive at the farm flow rate. The balance becomes clearly in favor of the solar pumping system pumping solution after approximately a few years of operation. The weak point of this last solution remains the initial investment which clearly favors the use of GMP on the site. This does not mean that GMP is the best but it is more widely used.

This work was carried out in collaboration between both authors. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.