Oxygen is something that nobody can do without. Humans, animals and plants could not live without oxygen. Plants and flowers in the greenhouse need oxygen at the roots. Sufficient oxygen contributes to the water and nutrient intake of the roots so that the quality of the plant is improved and the plant can defend itself more effectively against pathogenic fungi. Maarten Kramer, Aquamar: "The ideal way to bring extra oxygen to the roots is through the irrigation water. The problem in greenhouse horticulture is that sufficient oxygen is measured in the water in the basin, but at the dripper the oxygen content is too low. At higher temperatures, for example in the summer, the oxygen content, even in the basin, is already too low."
Decrease in oxygen levels are caused, among other things, by:
• Organic pollution
• The building up of biofilm in a drip system
• When the water is stagnant, the oxygen content drops to critical values (<4 mg / l) within an hour by bacteria and other causes.
• High temperatures in the substrate slab (ideal growing conditions for bacteria and fungi).
By adding oxygen to the irrigation water, the grower maintains the desired oxygen level. After years of development, Aquamar has found an effective method to achieve this goal. The unit that Aquamar has developed adds pure oxygen to the water by way of nano-bubbles. Nano-bubbles are tiny air bubbles, so small that they are invisible to the naked eye.
Maarten Kramer of Aquamar hands over the Pro-Vida to Tom Ammerlaan of Themato
Did you know that?
Nano-bubbles are smaller than 100 nanometers. By way of comparison: the thickness of a human hair is approximately 80,000 nanometers.
Maarten Kramer: "The big advantage of these nano-bubbles is that they can very effectively add oxygen to the water. The nano-bubbles remain in the water, because of the equal pressure inside and outside the nano-bubbles. Subsequently, those nano-bubbles dissolve in the water and you can measure this as dissolved oxygen.
Larger bubbles rise and leave the water, so that on average only 7% of the administered oxygen remains in the water; in the case of nano-bubbles that is 93%. Nano-bubbles reach the end of the pipe in a greenhouse, so that the entire greenhouse is served with oxygen-rich water, without chemical aids.”
The unit that Aquamar has developed is called the Pro-Vida. The unit itself produces the required oxygen, disposables such as oxygen bottles are not required. Various Pro-Vida's have now been installed at growers.
Themato from Berkel en Rodenrijs also uses a Pro-Vida. Theo and Tom Ammerlaan of Themato: “We have measured our irrigation water for dissolved oxygen several times and during hot days we see that the level is too low. Subsequently, we tested the Pro-Vida for two months and the results were so good that we have started to use the unit. The advantage is that we now always have the right oxygen content in the water during hot and cold days, so that the plants are not stressed by too little oxygen. The plant also absorbs the nutrients better."
The Aquamar unit is easy to install and requires little maintenance. Tom Ammerlaan: "We only have to clean the filter of the pump once in a while and Aquamar comes once a year to service the unit, that is all that is needed."
If hydrogen peroxide products are added to the irrigation water, a saving of up to 80% can be made by the extra added oxygen.
For more information:
Aquamar B.V.
Foksdiep 61
8321 MK URK
The Netherlands
Tel +31 (0)527-688336
[email protected]
www.aquamar.nl
Themato Productie B.V. 
Munnikenweg 24
2651 LZ Berkel en Rodenrijs
The Netherlands
www.themato.nl
[email protected]