In today’s Water Works, brought to you by AquiMax, maximizing soil moisture can be an integral part of general water management strategies. As energy and water rates are substantial components of the overall cost of production, implementing various techniques that can help reduce usage can be extremely valuable for growers.
“The issues of water availability are huge and ag is a highly visible water user,” said Exacto Incorporated Research Agronomist Glen Obear. “I think we have a lot to be proud of as an industry, in terms of how far we’ve come with dialing in our water management, but we’re not done yet. We have to sync all those technologies together.”
Along with reducing some of the costs of production, using more effective water management techniques can also provide added benefits. “We see that by improving water availability, we also increase yield. We’ve done over 100 research trials for the universities and research companies across the U.S. and we’ve seen consistent yield increases of about five to ten percent across the board,” Obear said.
Obear offered some of the details about a project he has been closely involved with related to maximizing soil moisture and ultimately reducing overall water usage. “AquiMax is a soil amendment that helps with water management. It contains a polymer and a surfactant, and it conditions the soil to increase the amount of plant-available water for about six to eight weeks after you apply it.”
Employing more energy efficient technologies in agricultural operations and developing programs to obtain the most benefit from the least amount of water can also play an important role in cultivating consumer trust. “It’s really important for the ag industry to be proactive and communicate the technology we’re developing and the science that we’re putting behind our water management strategy,” said Obear.
Listen to Obear’s interview below.