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Irrigation
IN THE DESERT RDI IS IN THE DESERT RDI IS
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Abu Dhabi, like many other na�ons, is concerned about food security, water scarcity, and climate change. They have focused their a�en�on on AgTech innova�ons and began seeking out and suppor�ng companies that are offering innova�ve solu�ons to these problems. In many desert areas, high salinity soil and ground water, create an untenable environment for crop produc�on. Many countries in this region depend upon farming from other countries, which requires that much of the food is imported, in order to feed the people living within the area. The RDI technology is working to restore this region into arable land that will be capable of feeding the popula�on, while restoring the soil health and conserving water resources. A 5-hectare sweet corn field trial, in Al Kha�m area, which was planted in the Fall of 2021 is demonstra�ng to farmers, agronomists, and
Why is RDI trying to grow crops in open environmental scien�sts that the desert can support crop produc�on, offering an affordable
fields in the Desert?
solu�on for food security. In this field, a�er the Abu Dhabi, like many other na�ons, is concerned large rocks had been raked, a tape injector about food security, water scarcity, and climate implement was used to bury the RDI tubing change. They have focused their a�en�on on underground. In January of this year, the first AgTech innova�ons and began seeking out and por�on of this field trial was completed with major suppor�ng companies that are offering innova�ve success. The RDI system reduced water and solu�ons to these problems. In many desert areas, fer�lizer consump�on by more than 40%, while high salinity soil and ground water, create an achieving more than 100% higher yields compared to untenable environment for standard drip irriga�on.crop produc�on. The field produced 3-4 ears of Many countries in this high-grade sweet corn per region depend upon farming every stalk. A�er being from other countries, which harvested, the stalks requires that much of the were cut and sold for food is imported, in order green fodder for livestock. In to feed the people living an effort to implement regenera�ve within the area. The RDI technology is farmingprac�ces, a�er the sweet corn was working to restore this region into arable land that harvested, no soil �llage was performed. One will be capable of feeding the popula�on, while sec�on was reseeded for another crop of sweet corn and the remaining fields were seeded with restoring the soil health and conserving water beet root for the summer crop. The recently sown resources. seeds have germinated and are demonstra�ng A 5-hectare sweet corn field trial, in Al Kha�m area, excellent growth and development. which was planted in the Fall of 2021 is demonstra�ng to farmers, agronomists, and WWW.RESPONSIVEDRIP.COM
environmental scien�sts that the desert can support crop produc�on, offering an affordable solu�on for food security. In this field, a�er the large rocks had been raked, a tape injector implement was used to bury the RDI tubing underground. In January of this year, the first por�on of this field trial was completed with major success. The RDI system reduced water and fer�lizer consump�on by more than 40%, while achieving more than 100% higher yields compared to standard drip irriga�on. The field produced 3-4 ears of high-grade sweet corn per every stalk. A�er being harvested, the stalks were cut and sold for green fodder for livestock. In an effort to implement regenera�ve farmingprac�ces, a�er the sweet corn was harvested, no soil �llage was performed. One sec�on was reseeded for another crop of sweet corn and the remaining fields were seeded with beet root for the summer crop. The recently sown seeds have germinated and are demonstra�ng excellent growth and development.
Irrigation CREATING FARMLANDS CREATING FARMLANDS CREATING FARMLANDS
Why regenera�ve farm techniques? Why regenera�ve farm techniques? Why regenera�ve farm techniques?
The soil is full of organisms which are helpful for plants. Some convert soil nitrogen into a plant usable form, others conduct water or loosen and aerate the soil. With �llage, chemical fer�lizers, herbicides, and pes�cides, the living organisms are destroyed and the soil becomes incapable of suppor�ng sustainable crop produc�on.
The soil is full of organisms which are helpful for RDI’s GrowStream tube delivers water and fer�lizer plants. Some convert soil nitrogen into a plant at an extremely low flow rate that targets the root usable form, others conduct water or loosen and zone of the plant. A significant reduc�on in fer�lizer use has been seen with the RDI system. Without soil aerate the soil. With �llage, chemical fer�lizers, �lling, carbon emissions are reduced and the herbicides, and pes�cides, the living organisms are organic plant material and microbial ac�vity are destroyed and the soil becomes incapable of maintained. suppor�ng sustainable crop produc�on.
The soil is full of organisms which are helpful for RDI’s GrowStream tube delivers water and fer�lizer plants. Some convert soil nitrogen into a plant at an extremely low flow rate that targets the root usable form, others conduct water or loosen and zone of the plant. A significant reduc�on in fer�lizer aerate the soil. With �llage, chemical fer�lizers, use has been seen with the RDI system. Without soil herbicides, and pes�cides, the living organisms are �lling, carbon emissions are reduced and the organic plant material and microbial ac�vity are destroyed and the soil becomes incapable of maintained. suppor�ng sustainable crop produc�on. RDI’s GrowStream tube delivers water and fer�lizer at an extremely low flow rate that targets the root zone of the plant. A significant reduc�on in fer�lizer use has been seen with the RDI system. Without soil �lling, carbon emissions are reduced and the organic plant material and microbial ac�vity are maintained.
RDI OFFERS A BETTER ALTERNATIVE FOR GREENHOUSES
RDI OFFERS A BETTER ALTERNATIVE FOR GREENHOUSES
Install Moving from the outdoors to 25 Greenhouses located in UAE, with a total area of 3.5 hectares, RDI OFFERS A BETTER ALTERNATIVE FOR GREENHOUSES
Moving from the outdoors to 25 Greenhouses located in UAE, with a total area of 3.5 hectares, RDI has provided a solu�on to issues that are costly and impact greenhouse crop produc�on. RDI has provided a solu�on to issues that are costly and impact greenhouse crop produc�on. Moving from the outdoors to 25 Greenhouses located in UAE, with a total area of 3.5 hectares, RDI has provided a solu�on to issues that are costly and impact greenhouse crop produc�on. Seedlings Flowering Higher Yields
Install Seedlings Flowering
Higher Yields
Install Seedlings Flowering
Higher Yields
Frui�ng
Frui�ng
Frui�ng
EASY TO INSTALL WITH LESSEASY TO BUGSINSTALL
WITH LESS BUGS
EASY TO INSTALL WITH LESS BUGS
MINIMIZES PLANT DISEASESMINIMIZES
PLANT DISEASES
MINIMIZES PLANT DISEASES
REDUCE WATER & FERTILIZER USEREDUCE WATER & FERTILIZER USE
DECREASE ENERGY MORE YIELD
REDUCE WATER RDI SYSTEM BENEFITS& FERTILIZER USE
RDI SYSTEM BENEFITS
RICE IN UAE DESERT - TERRAPLUS SOLUTIONS ANNOUNCES SUCCESSFUL TRIALS
Agritech firm Terraplus Solutions has completed successful trials of open-air rice production in the United Arab Emirates, and for the first time the staple crop has been grown economically and sustainably in the country. The news comes on the eve of the ‘Food for Future Summit’ in Dubai.
The results of the trials are a big step forward for the possibility of rice being grown in the UAE, as they indicate that rice can be produced domestically for a cheaper price than import. This is a key discovery that could benefit the UAE National Food Security Strategy 2051, which outlines rice as a core food item.
Speaking about the successful trial results Patrick Stevens, Managing Director and co-founder of Terraplus Solutions said, “Access to affordable and secure rice production is essential. Traditionally this has meant relying on imports, but these findings show that with the right technology the UAE can produce rice right here in its own soil at a competitive price and using a sustainable amount of water.”
The average subsidized price for an imported tonne of rice in the UAE is approximately $817. The country has imported more than 900,000 tonnes of rice over the past 12 months.
The trials targeted production of rice to be grown for $817 per tonne or cheaper across a sample farm in Dhaid, Sharjah. The homegrown UAE business factored in all known rice production costs including labour, seeds, fertilizer and water. The latter resource is the most important dynamic given the scarcity of water in the UAE. The team deployed the T+ system, a revolutionary subsurface irrigation method developed by Terraplus Solutions, to reduce enormous amounts of water.
Before these trials, the first three weeks of rice germination from seed to a two-leaf plant would have used around 200 litres of water per kilogram. Instead, the result of using Terraplus Solutions’ T+ system provided a water saving of more than 99 percent to just 0.9 litres per kilogram of rice produced.
For more information, visit www.terraplus.solutions
NEW SENSOR-TO-SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY FROM WYLD DELIVERS GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY FOR SMART AGRICULTURE
Wyld Networks has announced the availability of its new range of low-power, sensor-tosatellite terminals and modules that make it possible to connect agricultural sensors anywhere in the world, where there is no alternative coverage. The Wyld devices can transfer data directly to terrestrial networks or through Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites as a result of partnership with Eutelsat. With 100 percent global coverage, the new Wyld Connect solutions are ideal for applications in remote areas such as measuring soil moisture levels, tracking livestock or monitoring greenhouse temperature changes to adjust ventilation and irrigation. The full sensor-tosatellite service will be available in the second half of 2022.
The Wyld Connect terminal can connect directly to existing agricultural sensors, while the small modules can be fully integrated into new IoT sensors as an embedded solution. By using the LoRaWAN®, low power wide area network technology, smart farming IoT applications can be deployed globally using terrestrial or satellite connectivity at very low cost. Sensors can be powered by batteries with a lifetime of up to ten years. Data is delivered through Wyld’s cloud-based Fusion platform, which also allows IoT sensors to be registered, configured, authenticated and managed remotely.
“With a growing world population driving demand for food year-on-year, agriculture is under pressure to work more efficiently, productively and intelligently, amid the complex challenges of climate change and more erratic weather incidents,” says Alastair Williamson, CEO at Wyld Networks. “But the smart agriculture revolution is being held back by the lack of ubiquitous global connectivity. With an estimated 15% of the earth’s surface covered by existing cellular networks, low earth orbiting satellites provide the low-cost solution needed to catapult agricultural IoT growth around the world.”
Wyld is already working on trials with companies such as Bayer, Treevia, Agrology, KWS, Agrocognitive and Wezen Group developing agricultural and environmental IoT applications. The company is also partnering with TrakAssure on the design and production of a new sensorenabled device that can be used for farm-to-fork supply chain ecosystems. By making satellite IoT economics competitive to terrestrial solutions but with the benefit of global coverage, Wyld is opening up a wide range of new applications.
In addition to partnering with Eutelsat to provide LoRaWAN coverage via its low earth orbiting satellites, Wyld is also partnering with leading terrestrial LoRaWAN network providers including American Tower and Senet.
To ensure low power consumption at all times, Wyld has implemented a unique beaconing technology developed with Eutelsat that ensures that the terminal and sensor remain in sleep mode until a satellite is available to collect data.
“Existing low power wide area networks such as LoRaWAN are ideal to connect low power agricultural assets and sensors that don’t need to send much data, but they currently rely on a limited terrestrial infrastructure,” said Luc Perard, Senior Vice President, IoT Business at Eutelsat. “Wyld’s new sensorto-satellite LoRaWAN terminals and modules now make it possible to harness our network of LEO satellites to deliver low-cost, hybrid terrestrial and satellite connectivity over 100% of the earth’s surface, which is a game changer for the future of global smart farming.”
For more information, visit www.wyldnetworks.com
