TAAT e-catalog
for
Development partners
https://e-catalogs.taat-africa.org/org/technologies/zainer-low-cost-zai-field-preparation
Zainer
The Zainer is a lightweight vertical soil drill mounted on a two-wheeled cart and powered by a small 5 hp petrol engine. It is designed to mechanize the production of Zai planting holes by drilling to a depth of approximately 25 cm in about 4 seconds per hole. The machine creates up to 17 Zai pits per minute, enabling land preparation of 1 hectare in roughly 40 working hours. During operation, excavated soil is deposited on the downstream side of each pit to direct runoff water into the hole for improved infiltration. The Zainer is fuel-efficient, easy to operate by both men and women, and can be maintained locally by welders and small engine repairers, with an operational lifespan of about five years under minimal maintenance.
This technology is pre-validated.
Adults 18 and over: Positive high
Youth and adults can safely use the technology
The poor: Positive high
Provides a cost-efficient means of land preparation under rainfed cereal system
Women: Positive high
Women can safely use the technology
Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable
The technology enables the resilience of the rainfed system and adaptation to climate change impacts.
Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement
Enables in-situ water harvesting that improves soil moisture and water infiltration in dry environment
Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity
Water use: More water used
The technology enabled water harvesting to make more water available in dry season
The Zainer addresses major challenges in rain-fed agriculture in dry areas, including the arduous task of manually digging Zai pits and the low adoption of water and soil conservation practices. By mechanizing the creation of pits, it provides an effective and sustainable solution for improving water infiltration, soil moisture retention, and crop resilience to drought. This technology contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals related to food security, sustainable agriculture, and climate resilience.
The Zainer enables farmers to quickly implement Zai pits, optimize land preparation, and improve the productivity of rain-fed crops such as sorghum, millet, and maize. It can be easily integrated into integrated soil and water management practices. Support from development, partners agricultural extension services, cooperatives, NGOs, and mechanized service providers, is essential for user training, field demonstrations, and sustainable dissemination of the technology.
Every USD invested returns USD 0.13 net income.
No formal IP rights
Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology’s development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology’s readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.
Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.
The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.
Read more about scaling readiness ›
Uncontrolled environment: validated
Common use by intended users, in the real world
| Maturity of the idea | Level of use | |||||||||
| 9 | ||||||||||
| 8 | ||||||||||
| 7 | ||||||||||
| 6 | ||||||||||
| 5 | ||||||||||
| 4 | ||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||
|
Cost of the investment Sum of all fixed and operational expenses. |
USD 1,600 per hectare |
|---|---|
|
Gross revenue Sum of all income before subtracting costs. |
USD 1,800 per hectare |
|
Net income Gross revenue minus total cost. |
USD 200 per hectare |
|
Return on investment Percentage of income earned for each dollar invested, calculated as: (income ÷ cost of investment) × 100 |
13 % per hectare |
| Country | Testing ongoing | Tested | Adopted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This technology has not been tested or adopted in any country. | ||||
This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.
| AEZ | Subtropic - warm | Subtropic - cool | Tropic - warm | Tropic - cool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arid | – | – | – | |
| Semiarid | – | – | – | |
| Subhumid | – | – | – | |
| Humid | – | – | – | – |
Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.
This technology supports food security and sustainable agriculture goals.
Position at the Field
Move the Zainer to the field and place it at the starting point according to the crop spacing (e.g., 25–30 cm between Zai pits).
Operate the Drill
Start the engine and press the drill bit into the soil to the desired depth (25 cm). Move to the next planting point and repeat until the field is complete.
Monitor and Adjust
Ensure consistent pit depth and spacing while drilling. Adjust engine speed or operator technique if necessary for uniform holes.
Clean and Maintain
After completing field operations, remove dirt and moisture from the machine. Oil the drill bit and other moving metal parts to prevent rust. Perform regular maintenance for long-term operation.
Last updated on 27 April 2026
This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones.
Zainer: Low-cost Zai field preparation
https://e-catalogs.taat-africa.org/org/technologies/zainer-low-cost-zai-field-preparation
Last updated on 27 April 2026, printed on 29 April 2026
Enquiries e-catalogs@taat.africa
