Green Farming’s hydroponic system in Kenyan flower farm to save 60% irrigation water and to produce 10% more roses

October 5th, 2012 by nwp

During the past year, a group of Green Farming members has been active in developing and setting up a demonstration project on water management for the Kenyan horticultural sector. The project has been developed in close cooperation with Van den Berg Roses in Naivasha.

The project officially started on September 15th as Green Farming chairman Harm Maters, (r) Agricultural Counselor at the Dutch Embassy in Nairobi Hans Wolff, (c) and Van den Berg Roses director Arie van den Berg (l) cut a ribbon to officially open the Green Farming Water Management Demo Project.

Hydroponic production system to grow roses
The demo project involves a closed hydroponic production system where all inputs to the crop can be controlled and irrigation water and fertilizer that is not used is recycled.

The project includes water storage, treatment with reversed osmosis, recycling, optimisation of fertigation and optimisation of crop cultivation techniques. The project’s main objective is saving 40-60% of irrigation water while achieving a 10% increase in yields.

Fully recycable fertigation water
The purpose of the project is to demonstrate that through the implementation of best practice technology and management, water and nutrient use in protected and open horticultural production systems can be reduced and production quantity and quality can be increased at the same time.

The aim is to realize this through a hydroponic system with fully controllable crop inputs and recyclable fertigation water.

Flower farms at Lake Naivasha.

Dutch Green Farming consortium
Green Farming is a Dutch programme uniting horticultural networks in the Netherlands, Kenya and Ethiopia through joint activities, projects and co-operations in the areas of research, development and production.

The demonstration project is an initiative of Green Farming member Bosman, in cooperation with Hoogendoorn Growth Management, Van der Knaap Group, Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture, Genap, Hatenboer-Water and DLV Plant. The project is supported by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation.

In co-operation with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Wageningen University & Research centre, based in the Netherlands, will be monitoring the project and present the results.

Reports to Kenyan companies and officials
In the course of this project, set to run over 2 years, Green Farming will keep Kenyan companies and officials informed about all results achieved.

This news item is based on a news item published on the website of Green Farming.

More information
Green Farming
p/o
AVAG – Platform Toeleveranciers Glastuinbouw
‘s-Gravenzande, the Netherlands
+31 174 44 66 60
www.greenfarming.nl

Posted in News.

Dutch companies join South African project to reduce waterfootprint horticultural sector

October 5th, 2012 by nwp

The Dutch companies Aqua Terra Nova, Soil & More International and For Elements joined the Living Lands project in South Africa for the re use of waste water and solid organic waste.

The project is initiated to increase horticultural food production, making it less dependable on scarce fertile land, costly fertilizers and fresh water.

Land and river restoration project
Living Lands is a not-for-profit organization for conserving and restoring landscapes and rivers. The organisation was established in 2008 by members of the EarthCollective network.

Together with various South African authorities and private parties, Living Lands is now involved in a project to bring the horticulture in South Africa to a higer level. The project is co-financed by AgentschapNL of the Dutch ministry of economic affairs.

Blue drop, green crop
The Dutch companies operate jointly under the title ‘Metropolitan Food Cluster, Blue Drop, Green Crop’ to develop an integrated concept based on low cost water treatment and reuse of sewage sludge and organic waste.

Smaller waterfootprint for horticultural sector
The new concept is to reduce the waterfootprint of the horticultural sector in South Africa. The availability of fresh water is becoming more and more a limiting factor for the South African horticultural sector to grow.

Drought and changes in water distribution being two major reasons. At the same time urbanization increase leading to a greater demand for food, but also to more organic waste and waste water. The new concept will link these new developments.

Suitable project sites are being investigated.

The news release was originally published on the website of Aqua Terra Nova (in Dutch).

Photo: Certhon project Dube Tradport, Durban

More information

Living Lands/EarthCollective
Dieter Van den Broeck
Patensie, South Africa
+27 73 73 45 100
www.earthcollective.net/livinglands

Aqua Terra Nova
Aad Wubben
Naaldwijk, the Netherlands
+31 174 625 246
www.aquaterranova.nl

Soil & More International
Aart van den Bos
Naaldwijk, the Netherlands
+31 6 517 88 924
www.soilandmore.com

For Elements
Bart van Eck,
+31 6 245 29 457
www.facebook.com/for-elements

Posted in News.

KWR and UN Water cooperate in capacity building project in the water sector

May 21st, 2012 by nwp

KWR Watercycle Research Institute and the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) signed a Framework of Cooperation agreement for a joint two-year research project. The project involves a study of existing and emerging capacity building networks in the water sector at local, national and international levels.

Recommendations to capacity builders
The study’s objective is to deliver key recommendations to capacity builders for the productive development of these networks. “I am very pleased to see the cooperation between UNW-DPC and KWR take shape”, says dr. Ardakanian, director of UNW-DPC.

Visualization of relations and actors
“In the field of capacity development, networks and the relationships among actors are important”, says Ardakanian. “We welcome KWR’s expertise in the analysis of such networks, and the visualization of the relations of actors in the complex networks we are dealing with. Getting a better understanding of the networks in capacity development is an important prerequisite to identifying the needs for action.”

Social network analysis
KWR is engaged in studying the functioning of networks in the water sector at local, national and international levels. “Our cooperation with UNW-DPC enables us to bridge science to practice: on the basis of social network analysis, we will examine capacity building in daily practices within the context of UN-Water”, says prof. dr. Van Vierssen, CEO of KWR.

Wastewater and agriculture
In its first phase, the study will look at an emerging network which is dealing with the safe use of wastewater in Agriculture. This network is currently being built by means, for example, of regional workshops of capacity builders in African Francophone and Anglophone regions, West Asia, East Asia and Latin America.

Improvement of networking activities
“It is a complex topic”, notes Ardakanian, “which needs to be addressed across disciplinary boundaries to be successful. We will evaluate how networks evolve in the framework of this project, and hope to come to conclusions on how to improve networking activities to effectively develop the necessary capacities and disseminate knowledge at the country level to promote the safe use of wastewater in agriculture”.

Van Vierssen adds that “the unique situation of studying the emergence of the network, while it is taking shape, allows one to come up with recommendations that can possibly be used in actual practice.”

Network map
Over the coming months, a social cognitive map of the emerging capacity building network on the safe use of wastewater in agriculture will be developed. Additionally, challenges and key messages for the further development of the network will be identified. Ardakanian is looking forward to exploring these options with KWR. “We have already had exciting discussions about possible fields of further joint engagement”, he says.

UNW-DPC is part of UN-Water, that strengthens coordination and coherence among United Nations entities dealing with issues related to all aspects of freshwater and sanitation. UNW-DPC was launched to strengthen capacity development activities and to support UN members and partners in their efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals related to water.

KWR Watercycle Research Institute assists society in optimally organising and using the water cycle by:

creating knowledge through top-quality research;
building bridges between science, business and society;
promoting societal innovation by applying the best knowledge available

This news item was originally published on the website of
KWR.

More information

KWR Watercycle Research Institute
Mariëlle van der Zouwen marielle.van.der.zouwen@kwrwater.nl
Nieuwegein, the Netherlands
+ 31 30 60 69 641
www.kwrwater.nl

UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC)
Bonn, Germany
+49 228 815 0652
www.unwater.unu.edu

Posted in News.

Eco landscaping: Waterboxx greens Jordan’s desert areas

December 13th, 2011 by nwp

AMMAN – An initiative that seeks to increase the Kingdom’s green cover by utilising an “intelligent water incubator” that produces and captures water from the air through condensation and rain, will be launched soon in Jordan.

The initiative will be implemented by several local NGOs in partnership with Desert Tulip, a Dutch-Jordanian company, through the Ministry of Agriculture, according to Michael Schuring, general manager of the company.

“The idea is to help increase the green areas in Jordan and acquaint NGOs, farmers and concerned people with the new technique called Groasis waterboxx,” he said in an interview with The Jordan Times last week.

The campaign entails planting saplings in desert areas using the Groasis waterboxx, which was created by Dutch inventor Pieter Hoff.

The device is an “intelligent water battery” that produces and captures water from the air through condensation and rain. The condensation is caused by artificial stimulation and the water is captured without using energy, according to Schuring.

“The Groasis waterboxx makes it possible to plant trees, bushes or vegetables on rocks, on mountains, in gardens, in ashes of recently burned woods, eroded areas or deserts or any other place, without the help of irrigation with good planting results,” he added.

Several farmers in Jordan already using the technology have given positive feedback, Schuring noted.

Abduallah Khudruj, who used the device in his farm in Jerash, said the results were “promising”.

“For each sapling, I usually use more than 20 litres of water every 10 days, but after I used the device in my farm in Jerash, I used only 10 litres of water in 90 days to irrigate one sapling,” he told The Jordan Times on Sunday.

“This is a very good technique that will help farmers a lot. It definitely helps reduce water consumption. There is a water shortage in Jordan and inadequate rainfall… with this device farmers need not worry any more,” added Khudruj, who also owns farms in Amman and Mafraq.

“It is efficient, but our main reservation is about the price. It is a modern solution, but costly. The cheaper it is, the more farmers will use it,” he said, noting that it can help Jordan save water.

Several of these devices have been used in different parts of the Kingdom, according to Schuring, who noted that the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Jordan University of Science and Technology have already tested it and shown interest in using it in different parts of Jordan, he added.

“I am optimistic that it will help Jordan reduce water use and grow plants in desert areas,” he said, noting that the technology is used in over 25 countries, including Ecuador, the US, France, Spain, Morocco, Mongolia, India and Kenya.

“Water is everywhere in the air and this technique is about how to get rain out of the air. It can help grow trees in even the most arid areas, which can help increase the green cover in Jordan without using any water for irrigation,” he added.

The Groasis waterboxx was awarded the Dutch Bèta Dragons Science Award in 2008, and in 2010, it received the Green Tech Award from Popular Science, an American magazine with over three million readers, as well as the “Best of What’s New” award, according to its website.

This article was originally published on the website of Jordan Times on June 20, 2011.

Video (5 min.) of presentation during EU Life+ project Green Deserts’ Spain
(in Spanish with English subtitles)

For the latest results of this EU Life+ against erosion and desertification, see website:
The Green Deserts.

More information
AquaProHolland/Groasis
The Netherlands
www.groasis.com
+31 167 547 554

Posted in Features.

Groasis Technology let vegetables grow in green house in six weeks without watering

June 26th, 2011 by nwp

On May 1 the Dutch company AquaPro Holland started an experiment and planted seven types of vegetables in a Groasis Waterboxx with three wicks. The objective was to know exactly how much water the plants use and how much vegetables they produce. In order to prevent water from entering the box through rain or condensation, the experiment is conducted in a greenhouse. The greenhouse is not protected against sun so temperatures could get high.

Six week later
The results were astonishing. The vegetable plants grew after four weeks and on June 15 – six weeks later – the first fruits are coming (see photographs).

Who it works
The Groasis Waterboxx is a kind of bucket with a cover with two holes in it to catch rainwater and produce and catch water from condensation, and in the centre opening a plant can grow. Once captured, the water functions as a means of keeping the temperature low below the box and the centre opening creates a nice micro-climate. A wick drips about 50cc of water to the plant every day, which is enough for it not to die, but not enough for it to grow properly. In this way, the plant is challenged to develop its taproots to find water itself.

Academy course
From 18 to 25 September 2011 AquaPro organizes the first Groasis Academy course. The Groasis Academy is organized by Holland’s most famous Tree Consultancy company, GroeiBalans. Learn why a drip irrigated tree costs 10,000 USD over a lifetime and a tree planted with the Groasis technology less than 50 USD. The Groasis Academy is an educational programme which has the aim to improve knowledge about the Groasis Technology. The Groasis Technology is a novel method of planting which follows the concept of biomimicry : Mother Nature is copied as close as possible. Implementing Groasis Technology allows one to grow plants, bushes and trees without the need for irrigation.

Best innovation – Populat Science 2010
In November 2010 Popular Science organized the 4th Annual election of the ‘Best of what´s New’ innovation. This competition found place between 117 fantastic products of Fortune 500 companies, including the iPad from Apple and the Ledlamp from Philips. The Groasis waterboxx won the Green Tech Award (category sustainable inventions) and also won the ‘Best of all’ award.

More information on the experiment: Groasis website.

AquaPro BV, Steenbergen, The Netherlands
Tel +31 167 547554
Fax +31 167 547555
info@groasis·com

Posted in News.

IFC and the Netherlands jointly to promote water efficiency in India

June 7th, 2011 by nwp

New Delhi, India, June 7, 2011—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Netherlands will engage and jointly develop innovative solutions that promote efficient agricultural and industrial water use in India.

The partnership between IFC and the Netherlands’ Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture, and Innovation will allow IFC to support private sector investments through its financing and advisory services. The Netherlands will bring to bear its global leadership in the water sector to assist program implementation.

India faces a rapidly evolving water crisis. Over 80 percent of the country’s fresh water is consumed by the agricultural sector, including widespread ground water over-exploitation and continuing impacts of climate change. Access to safe and sufficient drinking water remains a challenge for many parts of rural and urban populations. Significant efforts are required to meet future demand in a sustainable and equitable manner.

“A programmatic approach toward implementing initiatives across the water value chain, such as agriculture water efficiency, industrial water use and reuse, potable water supply, policy and institutional framework reform, supported by Dutch water expertise, will help in creating water efficient economic growth,” said Marten van den Berg, Deputy Director-General International Relations, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, The Netherlands.

Specific program interventions will include improving water efficiency in agricultural commodity supply chains such as sugar, cotton, rice, dairy, and horticulture; water-consuming industries, and improving water quality and access to potable water.

“Water is a complex and challenging development priority for India. This partnership with the Netherlands translates into developing integrated end-to-end approaches to address water access, efficiency, and quality-related challenges,” said Anil Sinha, IFC Advisory Services General Manager for South Asia. “By reducing water waste and improving quality and access, the project will benefit industry, farmers, and households.”

Private sector can provide technology, systems and capital to address water challenges. As part of this joint action, consultations with stakeholder groups through dialogues and knowledge events will help develop sustainable solutions. Partnerships with leading actors in the agribusiness supply chain, technology providers, and financial institutions are likely to shape implementation initiatives.

About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in developing countries. We create opportunity for people to escape poverty and improve their lives. We do so by providing financing to help businesses employ more people and supply essential services, by mobilizing capital from others, and by delivering advisory services to ensure sustainable development. In a time of global economic uncertainty, our new investments climbed to a record $18 billion in fiscal 2010. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

Stay Connected
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www.facebook.com/IFCsouthasia
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Posted in News.

Green Farming’s hydroponic system in Kenyan flower farm to save 60% irrigation water and to produce 10% more roses

Dutch companies join South African project to reduce waterfootprint horticultural sector

KWR and UN Water cooperate in capacity building project in the water sector

Eco landscaping: Waterboxx greens Jordan’s desert areas

Groasis Technology let vegetables grow in green house in six weeks without watering

IFC and the Netherlands jointly to promote water efficiency in India

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