Water Innovations gives Water and Wastewater Engineers and end-users a venue to find project solutions and source valuable product information. We aim to educate the engineering and operations community on important issues and trends.
Issue link: http://wateronline.epubxp.com/i/694011
As Leonardo da Vinci once said, "We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot." That was profound in the 16th century, and it's even more profound now that we have the tools to start unlocking the complex ecosystem in every ounce of soil. Researchers at the Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT) at California State University, Fresno, have dug deep into a fascinating connection among drip irrigation, aeration, nitrogen availability to plants, and the balance of microbial populations in the soil. Working with colleagues from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Dave Goorahoo and Josue Samano Monroy of the CIT found that aerating subsurface irrigation water with a Mazzei AirJection system (homegrown technology designed and manufactured in Bakersfield, CA) altered the balance of microbes in the irrigated soil, reducing the amount of DNA present that indicated the prevalence of denitrifying bacteria. In short, it means the soil microbial community in the area irrigated with oxygenated water with additional microbubbles was less likely to produce NOx — the smog- producing greenhouse gases that float into the atmosphere, taking valuable plant nutrients out of the soil — and more likely to keep the nitrogen in the soil and available to crops. Good water management can also enhance plant uptake of nutrients, reducing the odds that the nitrate would leach into groundwater. That's a win-win for farmers and the environment. Measure And Manage Another Mazzei system, the Tru-Blend fertilizer injection system, helps farmers deliver precise amounts of vital nutrients directly into the root zone. That maximizes plant health and minimizes the chances for runoff with rainwater or surface irrigation, preventing costly and environmentally harmful discharges into canals, rivers, and lakes. It allows farmers to maximize the chances of uptake of the products they apply and minimize the likelihood of them leaching into groundwater. Such systems also play another vital role — as recordkeeping devices. Between federal and state regulations governing pesticides to California's special groundwater management rules, precise metering and recordkeeping is increasingly crucial to farmers. In the near future, we may also see a need for affordable and accurate water metering instruments that fit agricultural systems. California's strategic plan for groundwater management includes water budgets and careful accounting of water going in and out of many basins. Metering water is relatively simple in municipal systems, but takes on much greater complexity at the scale, and in the systems, of commercial agriculture. Achieving sustainability, just like improving any management system, requires measurement. California's Time In The Sun The gauntlet has been thrown. Consider Israel the reigning champion of drought-managing water technologies. Will the Golden State step up to challenge the status quo? With the specter of drought on the increase — both natural drought from dry weather and man-made drought from regulations parsing water among farmers, environmental needs, and a growing urban population — California's water prospects look about as dire as Israel's. And like Israel, California is graced with innovative farmers growing high- value crops, world-class universities, and some of the most creative imaginations and funding sources on the planet. Now is the time to bring the Silicon Valley of Water much, much closer to Silicon Valley. n In 2014, water level at Shasta Lake dipped below 30 percent of capacity — 178 feet below full. Jim Lauria is vice president of sales & marketing for Mazzei Injector Company, LLC, a fluid design company that manufactures mix- ing and contacting systems. He holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree from Manhattan College and has over 20 years of global water treatment experience in the agricultural, munici- pal, industrial, and commercial markets. Jim can be contacted at jlauria@mazzei.net. About The Author wateronline.com n Water Innovations 39 WATERSUPPLY&MANAGEMENT;