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Some results from our agent in Dubai on a trial with a strawberry crop.
They started with this:
Then they set up 2 watering systems feeding 2 separate crops. The first system uses Reverse Osmosis water mixed with a slight and tolerable dose of the toxic bore water (1750 ppm NaCl pH 7.5), the second system is pure bore water fed through a standard Hydrosmart conditioner.
After 6 weeks
After 6 weeks for the RO/bore fed crop and 5 weeks for the Hydrosmart fed crop they look almost identical.
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Reverse Osmosis & Bore mix
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Hydrosmart treated Bore
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Our Dubai agent wrote to us, "As you can see the two crops are almost identical but look at the water differences. I can also assure you the RO bore water mix set up has not been that successful. They have huge problems trying to keep the mix ratio uniform and tend to run the irrigation with pure RO water for 75% of the time."
"The pesticide and fertilizer is mixed into the water tank and irrigated to both crops at the same time using RO water so all is fair."
"The Hydrosmart treated crop (its one full week behind on planting don´t forget) is keeping up nicely. Currently the number of red strawberries is only slightly lower (smaller new green one´s is also slightly lower in number) but next week the comparison should be much better to determine."
"We should see taste testing in less than 3 weeks."
And yes the taste testing should be very interesting with improvements in taste being one of the consistently reported benefits of Hydrosmart water treatment.
After 8 weeks
After 8 weeks for the RO/bore fed crop and 7 weeks for the Hydrosmart fed crop.
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Reverse Osmosis & Bore mix
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Hydrosmart treated Bore
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Crop Observations
On average the RO & Bore mix plants look to be slightly larger (approx. 10%) but the fruits are identical in size.
Throughout the various stages of fruit development the Hydrosmart treated fruits seem to be more uniform in shape.
The RO & Bore water mix plants appear to have more insect damage to the leaves and the fruits.
Picked Fruit Comparisons - Week 7/8
Appearance:
There are no particularly striking differences in appearance between either sets of picked fruit. Remembering the actual bore water quality being 1,750ppm NaCl this is, in fact, the most significant observation. The Hydrosmart fruits do seem more uniform in their shape and sizes. The fruits seem to have less insect damage and are more uniform in colour.
Smell:
The Hydrosmart fruits, collectively and individually have a much stronger and sweet strawberry aroma.
Taste:
The Hydrosmart fruits tasted exactly as they should. They were sweet and very strawberry in flavour.
The RO & Bore Mix were noticeably sour and a little bitter.
Trial Facts
Both halves are delivered identical volumes of organic liquid fertilizer and organic liquid pesticide through irrigation system.
Both plots were prepared the same.
Growing season 12 weeks with cropping at 8 weeks.
Strawberries from same New Zealand batch.
Trial Notes
The Hydrosmart is positioned after the on/off valve of the trial site irrigation system to limit the amount of back fed treatment to the other site. The Hydrosmart remains in a working state 24hrs a day which ensures the treated water frequencies remain in the captured water body.
The majority of plant failures for both trial sets come down to unskilled planting problems.
A major sand storm (week 3-4) lifted most of the white polythene sheets causing loss of leaves, flower heads and some young green strawberries.
The RO & Bore mix water supply suffered from difficulties in maintaining the correct ratio. Consequently the mix, on average, received mostly RO water and little Bore.
RO & Bore Mix sampled 7th Feb: 793 ppm NaCl at 30.6°C pH 7.5
Hydrosmart sampled 7th Feb: 1795 ppm NaCl at 30.9° pH 7.7
Source Bore sampled 7th Feb: 1750 ppm NaCl at 29.6° pH 7.6
During January and February the site enjoyed a total of 8mm of rain which fell over 4 separate days.
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