Growers across the world are responding to water challenges through a variety of means, including smarter irrigation systems and water adjuvants, with the latter becoming a newer and growing part of crop input company Loveland Products’ portfolio.
Adjuvants are a class of products that “improve the characteristic of something else,” like Loveland’s Liberate and LI 700 products, which are nonionic surfactants for pesticides that reduce drift and keep droplets to the correct size, Drew Butler, manager of Loveland Products’ adjuvant portfolio, told AgTechNavigator.
The same principle holds for Aqua Force, which improves water distribution, infiltration, and retention, he added. Aqua Force is an adjuvant designed for center pivot irrigation systems, with Loveland Products exploring the potential of expanding the product into low-volume drip and flood irrigation systems, Butler noted.
“When water is put out, it could either penetrate too quickly and go past where you need it — or if you have tighter soils or higher clay content — you are going to end up with water that puddles, and then you are losing to evaporation and other losses. So, we need to get the penetration at the right timing, so the water that is applied is utilized to the max. And then once it’s there, we want to distribute it in the zone where your roots are going to be. So, we want to keep it in that root zone,” Butler elaborated.
Preserving aquifers, saving farmers money
Aqua Force is designed to help farmers who are grappling with water issues, which are projected to get worse in the years to come, Butler explained.
Nearly all (71%) of 1,700 aquifers are in some stage of depletion, with depletion accelerating in many parts of the world, according to a study from the University of California - Santa Barbara.
“The main area that we are targeting with the Aqua Force is your corn belt, which is the Ogallala Aquifer. ... About 30% of the nation’s production pulls out of this one aquifer, and so it’s dropping one to two feet a year, and they are pulling out faster than it can be replenished,” Butler elaborated.
Farmers often have to pay for depleting aquifers in one form or another, including need to drill costly new wells, Butler explained. Overrunning irrigation systems due to inefficient water management practices could also lead to maintenance costs, including replacing wheels and bearings, he noted.
“If your aquifer that you are pulling out of was at 200 feet, and then ... as it gets below your well, now you have to re-drill your well. You have to go deeper,” Butler said.
He added, “Energy costs also come into play. So, if you are using solar, electric pumps, or diesel pumps — depending on how you’re pulling that water out of the ground, all that cost comes around full circle. You are going to eventually be paying. Even if you’re not technically paying for the water itself, you’re paying to get the water to where it needs to go.”
