Indice
1. Insights about you and your professional background
Riaan’s exciting journey into the establishment of AgriWater started with the observation of his surrounding rural area where he grew up. About 15 years ago and until now, Riaan is determined to contribute to irrigation water enigma that he noticed to be giving lower quality crops compared to crops irrigated with rain water.
2. What are the current water treatment systems used in agriculture?
In agriculture, there’s not really any water treatment systems that works for large scale agriculture, in fact, treating small amounts of water is cheaper and easier than treating the larger amounts.
Riaan’s willingness to find an affordable solution that do not private water from its minerals such as manganese or iron, lead him instead to “… this idea of what if we just change the structure of water?” expressed by Riaan.
3. How far are sustainable water treatment systems for the agroecosystem?
Riaan added that “So all the microbes and the fungi get stimulated with this rain and they start making the food available to the plant” and that's how the agroecosystem cycle is balanced.
4. From mimicking the nature to an effective technology for water treatment, tell us about it!
Riaan designed (AW-AOP) by mimicking nature, “…so we looked at our nature … and we tried to copy it” as stated by Riaan.
Thereupon, thanks to the integration of oxygen into the irrigation system, the aerobic soil fauna is stimulated together with plant hair roots that “takes up better nutrients, more nutrients, more fruit, healthier plant healthier people” as summarized by Riaan.
Compared to conventional irrigation water “it’s basically dead water in the sense of there’s … not enough oxygen” as justified by Riaan.
5. Comparison between conventional water and treated water with AW-Advanced Oxidation Process for irrigation:
The seed germination demonstration realized by AgriWater was an opportunity to showcase the effectiveness of treated water on various phenological stages including the germination that was two times faster for seeds irrigated with treated water compared to conventional.
Equally important, the results of soil analysis in terms of soil microbial activity was again in favor of soil irrigated with treated water using (AW-AOP).
6. Is the advanced oxidation process reliable for small scale and large scale farmers?
AgriWater company is able to deliver the AOP technology to every farm scale and every relative water amount needed. From an economic point of view, this technology may not be affordable for small scale farmers while large agriculture industry can find it a convenient solution.
Nonetheless, AgriWater is thriving to lower the costs and “we're going to get to a point where we can make this much cheaper” as conceived by Riaan.
7. How can a farmer integrate this solution in his irrigation system already installed?
8. Are there cases where the AOP becomes a crucial choice for farmers?
9. What’s your advice to farmers for water management under the vulnerability of water scarcity?
Farmers are always open to adopt new solutions that will serve people and the planet, since their love for nature is their main driver to go forward.
Conclusions
Acknowledging the low water quality challenge around the world, AgriWater comes to offer its Advanced Oxidation Process technology and thrives to deploy it for the improvement of irrigation water at farm level and enhance consequently the food offer. The research effort behind AgriWater technology is considering every detail from nature to provide a system that enables similar results of rainwater. At the same, AgriWater is giving prominence to the flexibility of the system to all farm scales, water quantities and growing crops.
Babbel for Business
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Riaan Kirsten
Riaan Kirsten is the Founder and the Managing Director of AgriWater that offers to the global agricultural sector the most advanced irrigation water treatment solution to address water quality challenges. Thanks to his Passion for soil, water and his entrepreneurship spirit, he decided to dive into water treatment technology to explore the water complexity and advance the irrigation novelties.
