Water Sector

Monitoring recirculated irrigation water in the greenhouse

How do you keep track of microbiology and organic matter?

By next year, Dutch greenhouse horticulture must be emission-free, meaning that irrigation water will need to be fully recirculated. This raises questions about water quality and the potential spread of micro-organisms that could harm crops. In the OSIRES project, researchers explored a method that would enable growers to monitor microbiology and organic matter in recirculation water. “There is not yet a concrete toolbox,” says KWR researcher Marcelle van der Waals. “But we do now have a clearer idea of the techniques that could form part of it.”

With emission-free greenhouse horticulture on the horizon, Van der Waals is seeing an increasing focus on water quality in the sector. “Recirculating irrigation water means that growers need knowledge about the water cycle inside the greenhouse,” she explains. “At KWR, we have built up many years of expertise for drinking water companies on water quality and how to measure it. These insights can be applied very effectively in other sectors, such as greenhouse horticulture.”

The project ‘Organische stof in recirculatiewater voor sturing microbiële diversiteit en functionaliteit (OSIRES)’ aimed to identify the extent to which organic matter and micro-organisms accumulate in water during recirculation, including the effects this may have on plants. The project also examined the functionality of biostimulants: special products marketed as supplements to artificial fertilisers and pesticides, characterised by claims that they can increase crop yields and contribute to more resilient cultivation.

Read the full impact story on the website of TKI Watertechnologie.

share