Improving resilience by circular cultivation
With Opticlear Diamond
Zero-emission cultivation
In an ambitious move towards environmental sustainability, the Netherlands has set forth a pioneering legislation aimed at achieving zero-emission cultivation practices for greenhouse drainwater by 2027. This forward-thinking regulation marks a significant milestone in our commitment to reducing environmental impact and embracing eco-friendly agricultural practices.
However, its not that easy
Drain water often contains a mixture of nutrients, salts, pathogens, and potentially harmful chemicals. Before the recycled water can be reused for irrigation, it needs to be treated to remove or reduce these contaminants to levels that are safe for both the plants and the environment. Over time, the recycled water may contain elevated levels of salts due to the accumulation of salts from evaporation and take-up of water by plants. High salt levels can lead to soil salinity issues, affecting plant growth and overall productivity. Overcoming these difficulties necessitates a holistic approach that combines sound engineering with horticultural knowledge.
Opticlear Diamond & BioNIQ
Here's where Water IQ comes in! Our Opticlear Diamond system can disinfect and remove up to 99.5% of the pesticides present in the drain water at a low operational cost. The system can be equipped with an optional membrane solution – Forward Nano® – for the selective removal of accumulating salts. The small brine stream originating from this desalination process is treated with our BioNIQ high-rate denitrification system to meet discharge requirements.
🌍♻️ This way Opticlear Diamond and BioNIQ pave the way for complete drainwater recycling and zero-emission future proof cultivation.
What if circular cultivation becomes beneficial?
Plants recruit beneficial microbes in their rhizosphere by excreting organic signalling molecules called 'root exudates'. This root microbiome plays a critical role in the health and growth of plants. It is a diverse community of microorganisms that inhabit the soil surrounding plant roots. This microbiome consists of bacteria, fungi, archaea, viruses, and other microbes, and it interacts closely with plants in a mutually beneficial relationship. This relationship is crucial for the plant, as it facilitates nutrient uptake, enhances disease resistance, improves stress tolerance, boosts nutrient use efficiency and even promotes growth.
Did you know that the composition of water used for irrigation can be used to ‘steer’ the composition of the root microbiome, and therefore improve plant resilience?
This is the future of growing!