Météo-France confirm that 2022 was the hottest year since records began, with negative impacts on yields of up to 22%. Now even before we truly enter summer in 2023, serious concerns are being raised. French TV reported in early June that half of the north of France was already in a clear state of drought. “It’s a dramatic situation, and one that’s being repeated more and more,” declares prominent reporter Laurent Romejko.
With record-breaking temperatures, dwindling aquifers and diminishing snowpacks, is there anything the country’s growers can do to mitigate against a damaging summer in 2023?
Faith in technology
Technological solutions are often put forward as a magic bullet, to save the human race and the planet. While we can’t rely on simply one strategy, there are increasing signs that when it comes to food production and water use, new technologies genuinely can play a key role – just as innovations brought us the 20th century’s Green Revolution. Advances in robotics, drones, AI, and monitoring tools can help farmers optimize their growing like never before.
But one innovation connecting nature and technology, and at the nexus of the interactions between water, soil and plants, is AQUA4D®. With a long list of successful cases, there is a beacon of hope for growers to optimize production while saving precious resources.
Water savings in Brittany nurseries
In north-west France, Daniel Trévien has been selling young trees for four decades, but conditions have never been this difficult. “We’re always on the edge, it’s a very stressful job,” he told Ouest France. But technology is helping them pass through these difficult times, including last summer’s drought. A member of the Kerisnel group, Trévien added AQUA4D® to his drip irrigation system, which he says helps the water better diffuse into the plants. “Comparing consumption over the same period between 2021 and 2022, I have used 30% less water at the moment,” he says.
Future-proofing wine production in Switzerland’s Valais
Like neighboring France, the Canton of Valais in Switzerland suffers in the summer months where the snowpacks are melting earlier and earlier in the year. As wine growing is an important economic pillar, producers decided to address this situation before it becomes existential. In 2021-22, a pilot was conducted involving wine producers, hydroelectric engineers, and irrigation technologies including AQUA4D®.
The results, detailed in an extensive report, showed comparative potential water savings of 45% through AQUA4D®, drip irrigation and monitoring tech, meaning more water available upstream for drier times.
“Our water treatment technology structures water at a molecular level to improve the hydration of minerals and allow all soil types to hold more water. When combined with other agricultural technologies, this can almost halve the volume of water required for irrigation,” explains Walter Thut, who leads the pilot project within AQUA4D.
Saving water and fertilizer in tomato production
It’s not just in open fields where AQUA4D® excels and maximizes food production. In mid 2023, exciting results from a large tomato producer in Rennes (Brittany) showed 20% water savings compared to the previous year. What’s more, due to the transformation of the water by AQUA4D® treatment the grower was able to recycle the irrigation water and keep it clean and free from biofilm.
As a further positive, due to the effect on minerals and nutrients in the water and fertigation, fertilizers are better dissolved and can be more effectively absorbed by the plants. This has led to an initial 10% decrease in fertilizer application, with a notably positive financial impact.
Ensuring financial viability of growers
In all above cases, it’s not just resources that are being saved, but money too – at a time when farmers are more profits are being squeezed like never before. If they can save water while optimizing use of fertilizer and other inputs, this can help mitigate fluctuations in harvests and prices.
“We truly are changing the prospects of growers who are using our technology,” says France representative Thierry Koch. “By keeping soils moist for longer, and making uptake of water and nutrients more efficient, we can help French growers get through what might be some tough summer months ahead.
—–
Find out more:
Improving Climate Resilience Through Water-Smart Irrigation (Article)
Irrigation de précision AQUA4D® : comment ça marche ? (Video)
France
Water efficiency
Precision Irrigation
An AQUA4D Pro-M system in the field
“Our water treatment technology structures water at a molecular level to improve the hydration of minerals and allow all soil types to hold more water. When combined with other agricultural technologies, this can almost halve the volume of water required for irrigation.” – Walter Thut, AQUA4D co-founder
Animation: How AQUA4D® saves water and keeps soils moist for longer