1. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
UNDERCOVER FARMING
10 October 2017
2. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Ockie van Niekerk
3. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Transfer of INNOvative techniques
for sustainable WAter use in
FERtigated crops
4. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
• 23 partners
• 8 European countries and South Africa
• Specialists
– All aspects that effect water use
• www.fertinnowa.com
5. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Recycling for sustainability
6. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Recycling for sustainability
Re–use
the drain
water
from the
root zone
7. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Benefits of recycling
• Saves water
• Saves fertilizer
• Eco friendly
• All plants get enough – higher drain %
• Run at higher EC
8. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Requirements for recycling
• Soilless
• Disinfection
– Ozone/Hydrogen Peroxide
– UV
– Cl
– Heat
– Slow sand filtration
• Water and fertiliser with low or no Na and Cl
9. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Effect of recycling on [Na]
3 mole
Na
1000L
3 mmole/L
3
mole
2,1
mole
700L
3 mmole/L
3
mole
300L
10 mmole/L
300L
10 mmole/L
10. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
After one recycle
3 mole
Na
1000L
3 mmole/L
3
mole
300L
10 mmole/L
1000L
5,1 mmole/L
5,1
mole
5,1
mole
2,1
mole
300L
17 mmole/L
700L
3mmole/L
300L
17 mmole/L
3
mole
2,1
mole
5,1
mole
Na
11. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
[NaCl] more than doubled
3 mole
1000L
3 mmole/L
5,1
mole
1000L
7,2 mmole/L
3
mole
5,1
mole
1000L
5,1 mmole/L
5,1
mole
2,1
mole
7,2
mole
Na
12. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
1 per week 1 per month 1 per year
Discharge frequency vs
Na concentration
mmole/L
13. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Typical arrangement
14. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Sources of low Na water
• Rain
• Desalinated ground water
• Reverse osmosis
• Ion Exchange
15. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Comparison
Reverse Osmosis
• Membrane
• Energy
• Desalination
• Pre-treatment critical
• 50% conversion
• All salts in concentrate
Ion Exchange
• Resin
• Chemicals
• Softening, Boilers
• Limited pre-treatment
• 95% conversion
• Separation of compounds
16. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
17. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Ground water vs drain water
Ground water
• Volume higher
• Few salts
• Preferred option
Drain water
• Volume lower
• Salts plus all nutrients
• Sometimes the best option
18. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Reducing Na in drain water
Recover ALL the nitrate and
phosphate
Drain
water
Na
Nitrate
Phosphate
Sulphate
Drain tank
19. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
ALL cations are removed…
Drain
water
Ca
Mg
K
Na
Drain tank
Nitrate
Phosphate
Sulphate
20. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Most of Na removed
Ca
Mg
K
Na
Drain tank
KCl
Discharge
NaCl
KCl
(Mg,Ca)
21. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Regeneration, recovery of the rest
of the nutrients and neutralisation
Nitric Acid
Ca
Mg
K
Na
Drain tank
KOH
22. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Sodium Reduction Unit (SRU)
23. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Sodium Reduction Unit (SRU)
24. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
SRU
Dirty drain tank
Nutrients
Nutrient Mixture
Drain
Water
SRU
Clean drain tankDisinfection
8000L/d
400L/d
Solution containing Na
25. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
26. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Summary
• Recycling saves water, fertiliser and
environment
• Need Na free water
• Visit www.fertinnowa.com
27. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Thank you
28. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No 689687
Typical arrangement