04 June 2021
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Increasing grower awareness of contaminants in irrigation
GROWERS are increasingly using water that is highly contaminated with organic material including reclaimed water from domestic use, and more and more are now looking for filtering solutions as a result, it has been revealed.
Up to 70% of water used for agriculture is surface water from reservoirs, lakes, canals, and ponds, containing considerable amounts of algae and other organic contaminants that significantly increase the risk of clogging.
With water quality constantly deteriorating as a result of climate change, pollution, and the growing usage of reclaimed water, growers have an increasing need for effective filtration to prevent full and partial clogging and to protect their irrigation systems for sustainable long-term performance, and this has become more and more apparent over the past few years, according to Gabriel (Gaby) Miodownik, CEO of Netafim which provides precision irrigation solutions and agricultural projects.
Gaby said: "“Our customers are increasingly using water that is highly contaminated with organic material including reclaimed water from domestic use. This increasing demand drove us to enhance our filtration portfolio and capabilities so farmers can use low-flow drip lines, eliminating the risk of damaging their systems."
Gaby's announcement has coincided with Netafim's lauh of its new AlphaDisc™ filter, which the company says will protect irrigation systems against clogging caused by organic contaminants, and enable growers to more uniformly irrigate crops.
