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Water is one of the most basic and essential of all natural substances in the world, and the quality of the water around us has an impact on nearly every aspect of our lives. From the water we drink daily, to the water we shower and bathe in, to the water used on our garden plants, and in the wider agricultural world, water quality has a direct effect on human health, both individual and collective.
In this article, we will consider the role of water filtration in agriculture, and some of the benefits accrued from properly treating water before we feed it to the plants that the world lives off of.
Water contaminants in agriculture
Water is sometimes referred to as the “universal solvent,” a nickname that it has earned from its unique ability to tear complex substances down into their basic constituent parts. Over time, water will wear away at organic matter, minerals, and just about everything else that makes up the physical stuff of the world. No solvent on the planet has the range of dissolving power that H20 has.
What this means is that water is, in its naturally-occurring form, almost always unsafe to drink. Throughout human history, water was feared as a source of disease and death as much as it was valued for its necessary role in preserving life. For example, many ancient and Medieval peoples relied heavily on low alcohol-content beer and wine for their hydration needs, avoiding the consumption of water for fear of microbial threats and other dangerous contaminants.
When we consume water, the contaminants present in the water, whether as physical particulate, or in dissolved form, interact with our body. The same thing happens when we feed water to plants. Chemical, mineral, organic, or synthetic chemicals present in the water used in agricultural systems will find their way into the cellular structure of fruits, vegetables, and grains. This can distort the healthy growth of the crop, produce negative tastes, and quite possibly make them dangerous to eat, if contaminant concentrations are high enough. So, just as we want to filter water before directly consuming it, so too we ought to be wary about filtering water before we use it on edible plants.
Different types of water filtration methods
Water can be filtered, cleaned, and purified in a wide variety of ways, using very different techniques. To begin with physical filter types, you can broadly characterise filtration media according to the mode of their operation. Mechanical filters, such as sediment filters and membrane-style filters operate according to simple principles of mechanical restraint, like a net or a colander. Chemical filters such as activated carbon and ion exchange resin pull dissolved chemicals out of solution, adhering them to the media. Other methods of purifying water include boiling, distillation, water softening, deionisation, and disinfection with chlorine or other chemical agents.
When it comes to watering crops, obviously things like chlorine are no good, as they would damage the crops. We need to rely on more traditional forms of filtration, such as an activated carbon filter, or an industrial RO membrane. Reverse osmosis water, especially when produced on an industrial scale, can be a great option for agricultural applications, as the advanced membrane technology of reverse osmosis allows for filtration down to as small as 0.0001 microns, which can remove up to 99% of total dissolved solids in water.
Impact of water filtration on crop quality and yield
Depending on the water quality you are starting with, filtering your water can lead to a significant improvement in crop yield and quality. Very heavy, or mineral-rich water, for instance, can impede proper plant development and growth, leading to sub-par crop yields, or produce that is less tasty and attractive. Without clean water to develop properly, crops simply suffer.
Water filtration and soil health
Poor water quality can affect more than just your current year’s crop. If you are using highly contaminated water for a long period of time, then the very soil that your plants are growing in can become choked with high mineral content, chlorine, salt, synthetic chemicals, or whatever else happens to be floating around in your source water. Over time, soil conditions can become bad enough that plants no longer grow or develop properly.
Water filtration for livestock
If you have a farm with animals, they will also benefit from clean drinking water. Cows, pigs, chickens, and other domesticated farm animals require clean, potable water in order to develop in healthy and natural ways, just as plants and humans do. You can produce higher-quality produce by investing in a robust water filtration system for your livestock operations.
Economic benefits of water filtration in agriculture
For the modern farmer, an industrial reverse osmosis system providing clean, contaminant-free (or contaminant-reduced) water for crops and livestock can translate into real economic benefits. Better quality meat and produce mean a better market year, and the creation of a reputation as a quality grower and producer.
Challenges and considerations
One of the biggest challenges facing farmers when it comes to implementing a farm-wide water filtration system is the initial setup and creation of the infrastructure needed to filter enough water for the farm’s complete needs. This will likely necessitate a large investment, and quite a bit of time, up front, in the form of adequately testing your water, determining the chief dangers therein, and then designing and building a sufficiently robust system. After that initial investment, however, the system should be largely self-sufficient aside from occasional maintenance and regular filter replacements.
Conclusion
Whether it’s the water we drink, or the water we use to grow our crops, water quality matters, and it makes a huge difference to quality of life. A sound approach is to treat your crops the way you would treat your body, and invest in a filtration system to get the most out of each year’s yield.
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