Agriculture is the largest user of the world's water resources, accounting for 70% of all consumption. Reducing water consumption and increasing water use efficiency in agriculture are two of the main challenges that need to be faced in the coming decades.
Radicchio rosso di Treviso Tardivo (RTT) is a vegetable that needs a forced water process before the sale. Such practice presents a significant environmental impact due to the high water volumes used and then dispersed into the environment. A medium-sized producer uses approximately 35 thousand m3 of water, so the sustainability of this production process needs to be improved.
The research group coordinated by professor Paolo Sambo from DAFNAE at the University of Padua tested a system to reduce water use by developing a pilot system with recycled water in a closed loop through an ozone treatment.As regards water quality, the redox potential value was higher in the ozonized system, while turbidity, pH and electrical conductivity did not change significantly. Yields and plant quality did not significantly differ from the control plant, except for antioxidant activity, which was higher in the plants placed in the water treated with ozone.
"Our initial results suggest that the ozone treatment could be applied and is suitable for growers, who could save up to 95% of water volumes."
Even though these results are preliminary and must be confirmed by further tests, they prove that ozone can sanitize waters rich in suspended solids obtaining characteristics comparable to drinkable water and avoiding water stagnation. "This technique should be developed further and adapted for the sanitation of water for other products as well."
Source: Carlo Nicoletto, Carmelo Maucieri, Paolo Sambo, 'Effects on Water Management and Quality Characteristics of Ozone Application in Chicory Forcing Process: A Pilot System', 2017, Agronomy, Vol. 7(2), 29.
"Our initial results suggest that the ozone treatment could be applied and is suitable for growers, who could save up to 95% of water volumes."
Even though these results are preliminary and must be confirmed by further tests, they prove that ozone can sanitize waters rich in suspended solids obtaining characteristics comparable to drinkable water and avoiding water stagnation. "This technique should be developed further and adapted for the sanitation of water for other products as well."
Source: Carlo Nicoletto, Carmelo Maucieri, Paolo Sambo, 'Effects on Water Management and Quality Characteristics of Ozone Application in Chicory Forcing Process: A Pilot System', 2017, Agronomy, Vol. 7(2), 29.