5 reasons why irrigation-water treatment programs are important

Implementing a strategic water program can assist in growing healthier plants and lowering the overall cost of operations while abiding by Best Management Practices or BMPs. 

The BMP guidelines in reference to Water Treatment include, but are not limited to, water management and irrigation, nutrient management, pesticide use, and disease management. These guidelines can be practiced to ensure minimal environmental impact with the exclusion of excessive chemical and nutrient usage.Given the fact that environmental footprints are now being observed more frequently and chemical costs are on the rise, a water treatment program is a responsible and justified choice for a grower.

Though there are multiple reasons and benefits why irrigation water treatment is important to a successful and responsible growing operation, there are key benefits that justify such a program. Depending on the requirements of a greenhouse, those reasons can vary in their level of importance.

Here, then are five reasons (though in no particular order) for implementing a water treatment program:
 

1.  Biofilm in irrigation lines can cause nutritional deficiency. Biofilm is made up of various microbes, both pathogenic and benign, and they attach to the inside of irrigation lines. These microbes feed off nutrients meant for plant material. Most microbes are much more efficient in taking up nutrients than are greenhouse plants. This leads to an increased use of fertilizer to maintain proper nutrition or the plant will become nutrient deficient. A nutrient-deficient plant will have a weakened defense system and is more susceptible to harmful pathogens.

2. Irrigation lines with biofilm cause ‘clean’ water to turn dirty. Relatively clean water from cold, deep wells have low bacterial and fungal counts, but the biofilm in the irrigation lines can hold harmful microbes.?The well water may constantly be inoculated with harmful pathogens as it runs through the irrigation lines.  Essentially, taking clean water from the source and running it through the biofilm will spread diseases onto plants through simple irrigation. Water from the irrigation lines can have over 10 times the pathogenic loading when compared to source water.
 

3. Biofilm can cause irrigation line clogging. Biofilm in the irrigation lines can cause water efficiency issues.  Biofilm can constrict the surface area of a line causing pressure and flow problems.  Also the algae and microbes that make up the biofilm can break off and clog irrigation heads.  These issues can contribute to plant stress and a weakened immune system from inefficient watering.  
 

4. Irrigation water can carry harmful plant pathogens. Well water is typically much cleaner than pond water, but they both can contain harmful bacterial, fungal, and algal pathogens.  A variety of plant issues can be sourced from the water and not previously thought of as factors. There are many plant symptoms that go misdiagnosed.  Proper testing and treatment of the water can lessen the guess work of a grower.  Pythium and Phytophthora are examples of these harmful pathogens.  Many research studies link Pythium and Phytophthora to irrigation water. Dr. Paul Fisher discusses these issues and studies in his “Water Treatment Guidelines,” which can be found on the University of Florida’s Water Education Alliance website.  The added stress from constant inoculation of pathogens through irrigation waters may increase the need for chemical interventions, whereas with a proper water treatment program in place, they may have been avoided or lessened. 
 

5. Increased cost associated with bad water quality. Mismanagement of irrigation water increases overall production cost. Biofilm, and other pathogens found in irrigation water, cause stress, nutrient deficiency, stunted growth, and devastating plant diseases.  To compensate, more costly chemical sprays are put in rotation, nutrient feed is increased, and there is a surge in labor. All this amounts to more time and money spent. 

There are many economical and effective solutions to water-quality issues.  Previously thought of as an added expense, proper water management can actually lead to a decrease in overall production costs. In addition to the reduction of overall production costs, the decrease in chemical and nutrient usage will follow BMP guidelines for minimizing environmental impacts.  Different approaches can be made to achieve this goal, shocking irrigation lines periodically, constant treatment of irrigation water, periodic treatment or even treating the source. 

Activated peroxygen chemistry has been researched extensively and deemed a very effective and sustainable solution for treating water.?Some other options include copper ionization, chlorine and ozone. There are companies that specialize in implementing such programs and can offer water testing and associated services to help implement proper strategies and solutions.  University extensions can also prove to be a reliable source for irrigation needs.

Jeffrey Rich is a Technical Representative for BioSafe Systems (www.biosafesystems.com).