Portal de Cartagena
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The School of Agronomists of the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT) and the University of Almería seek solutions for the shortage of water for cultivation.
The researchers are trying to make the use of desalinated seawater viable in a novel closed circuit for hydroponics, soilless crops.
The researchers plan to "try to bring the hydroponic culture to a closed circuit in which to try to reduce the waste of the cultivation system itself to a minimum, making it circulate and treating the drains," explains José Francisco Maestre, from the Department of Agroforestry Engineering.
Later, when the analytical part of results is developed, the benefits of the proposed system will be determined: "It is a step forward on the current systems of agriculture in soil or hydroponics with open systems".
The tests will be carried out in the experimental farm ANECOP, of the University of Almería.
The work to be developed consists in "comparing different mixtures of desalinated water with well water, and the conventional cultivation system in the area, sandblasting, more specifically the main one of tomato, versus hydroponic cultivation with recirculation of the nutritive solution ".
In all this, there will be room for addressing "environmental, socioeconomic and purely tomato production and quality" aspects.
In the project LIFE-DESEACROP (DEsalinated SEAwater for alternative and sustainable soilless CROP production - LIFE16 ENV / ES / 000341), coordinated by the Polytechnic University of Cartagena, the University of Almería, the company Valoriza-Agua and the Community of Users Campo de Níjar.
This project is part of the LIFE + call, an EU program to finance actions on environmental issues and climate change.
The project has begun this month and will end in 2020. It is coordinated by José Francisco Maestre Valero and has the participation of a multidisciplinary team composed of researchers from the Research and Design in Agriculture groups of Irrigation;
Management, Use and Recovery of Soils and Waters;
Agrarian economy;
and Engineering of Cold and Food Safety.
Source: UPCT
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