Boost your harvest potential with Intra Hydropure!
Increased yield through optimal water quality during cultivation
It’s the end of the season, which means that it is time to ready the orchard for winter. One crucial step that is sometimes forgotten but is extremely important is carefully cleaning the fertigation system. In fruit cultivation nowadays, the use of a fertigation system is practically indispensable. Administering fertilisers early in the season with this system results almost directly in an improved yield. The optimal benefits are realised when each dripper provides water of the same quality. But is that really the case?
Throughout the season the fertigation system transports large quantities of water all through the orchard. But this water often contains dissolved substances like:
- Useful nutrients like nitrogen and potassium
- Minerals derived from the source, like iron, calcium or manganese
- Organic impurities like bacteria, fungi and algae
The combination of dissolved substances in the water can sometimes lead to the formation of biofilm, leading to these substances settling in the fertigation system. Severe fouling can lead to blocked drippers, but even a slight contamination can disrupt the even distribution of nutrients over the orchard. Trees lying closer to the pump most likely receive the correct proportions of nutrients, whereas trees at the end of the system may receive a different proportion, because nutrients settle out during the long transport in the hoses onto the existing biofilm.
How can you determine if biofilm is present? That’s simple: remove a piece of the hose and cut it open. You will notice whether the inside is contaminated, as in the image below where iron and/or manganese precipitates are clearly evident. If you would prefer not to cut into the hose, you can also insert your finger and feel the inside of the hose at the end of the system. If you feel a slimy layer, that is biofilm.
Figure 1: Iron and manganese precipitates in irrigation hoses before treatment
It is now time to clean the fertigation system and make it ready for the spring. One easy way of doing this is by using our product Intra Hydropure, based on hydrogen peroxide and augmented with a silver chelate. This product helps remove all kinds of impurities. Instead of working with saltpetre or sulphuric acid, use a dose of 1% Intra Hydropure. Its great advantage is that it eliminates biological impurities as well as iron deposits. This procedure leaves the hoses as clean as brand new. Leave the product in the hoses for at least 24 hours and then rinse the hoses thoroughly before draining them in preparation for the winter.
Figure 2: Clean hose after using Intra Hydropure
Using Intra Hydropure has the following benefits:
- Clean hoses from beginning to end, no more problems due to blockages
- Uniform water dispensing throughout the season
- No longer any need for cleaning with saltpetre or sulphuric acid during the winter period, so no corrosion
- Creates healthy trees with improved vitality
If you would like more information about using Intra Hydropure and how to apply it practically in your company, please contact us.
