ORGANIC VINEYARD
CONTEXT
Oxygen is an essential nutrient for plants as it enables aerobic respiration, an essential plant process that releases energy for root growth and nutrient uptake. The dissolved oxygen (DO) contained in the nutrient solutions used to irrigate the plants is absorbed by the roots. If depleted, plant growth and water and mineral uptake are reduced.
The partial or total lack of oxygen in the root zone causes different consequences, depending on the types of plants. Often the first sign of inadequate oxygen supply to the roots is wilting of the plant in hot conditions and high light levels. Insufficient oxygen reduces root permeability and leads to a buildup of toxins. Thus, the plant is unable to absorb sufficient amounts of water and minerals to achieve growth. This wilting is accompanied by a slowdown in the process of photosynthesis and the transfer of carbohydrates. Over time, plant growth is reduced and performance is affected. If the lack of oxygen continues, the mineral deficiency will be visible, the roots will die and the plant will stunt.
Faced with a lack of oxygen, plants produce a stress hormone called ethylene. Ethylene accumulates in the roots and causes the collapse of the cells in this area. At this stage, pathogens like pythium can easily take over the plant and destroy it.
Healthy roots with sufficient oxygen can selectively absorb nutrient ions from the surrounding solution as needed. The metabolic energy to drive the nutrient uptake process is obtained through the oxygen breathed in by the roots. In fact, under anaerobic or oxygen-free conditions, there may be a net loss of nutrient ions from a plant's root system. Without sufficient oxygen, plants cannot take in minerals in the concentrations required to promote their maximum growth. Maintaining high levels of dissolved oxygen creates healthy roots with the energy to absorb nutrients and rapidly transport water and mineral ions to the plant.
TRADITIONAL METHOD
While there are a number of methods that can be used to introduce oxygen into a nutrient solution, many of them are expensive and not used often by small growers. Ozone treatment is a clear example.
Instead, forcing air through nutrients delivered to plants in irrigation systems is one of the most widely used methods of getting more dissolved oxygen into a plant's root system. Air pumps are available in various sizes and have the ability to work with one or multiple air stones or diffusers. These devices introduce hundreds of microbubbles of ambient air into the nutrient solution. Unfortunately, these bubbles are a micron or larger in size. They then quickly rise to the surface and disperse before the solution reaches the plants.
Some of the oxygen is absorbed as the bubbles rise, but the absorption rate is relatively low. Large volumes of gas must be introduced to achieve desired DO levels. NAECOER addresses these inefficiencies with its revolutionary patented nanobubble technology. Our users have reported production increases of up to thirty percent depending on the crop and other factors.
OXYGENATION TECHNOLOGY NAECOER
Because the systems NAECOER they work at high and low pressure, they can be fed with oxygen through an oxygen generator that has no ongoing operating costs except for electricity. The efficiency of the technology in the use of gas makes oxygen a viable option with a low initial cost.
The nanobubbles generated by NAECOER they remain in solution for long periods of time, more than enough time for oxygen to reach the roots of the plants through any type of irrigation or hydroponic system. Our technology can also be very effective in aquaponic systems.
In certain applications, depending on the health of the growing medium, NAECOER incorporates beneficial microbes into its solutions to create optimal growing conditions. the technology of NAECOER not only does it maximize the oxygen supply for plant roots, but it encourages the introduced beneficial anaerobic bacteria to multiply and improve the soil rapidly.
