Radio
wave-treated water could change agriculture as we know it. Its Irish pioneers
meet Tom Prendeville
Independent.ie,
25 August 2013
 |
| MIRACLE GROW: Treated water results in larger, healthier crops, says Professor Austin Darragh of Limerick University |
The
technology – radio wave energised water – massively increases the output of
vegetables and fruits by up to 30 per cent.
Not only
are the plants much bigger but they are largely disease-resistant, meaning huge
savings in expensive fertilisers and harmful pesticides.
Extensively
tested in Ireland and several other countries, the inexpensive water treatment
technology is now being rolled out across the world. The technology makes GM
obsolete and also addresses the whole global warming fear that there is too
much carbon dioxide in the air, by simply converting excess CO2 into edible
plant mass.
Developed
by Professor Austin Darragh and Dr JJ Leahy of Limerick University's Department
of Chemistry and Environmental Science, the hardy eco-friendly technology uses
nothing but the natural elements of sunlight, water, carbon dioxide in the air
and the minerals in the soil.
The compact
biscuit-tin-sized technology, which is called Vi-Aqua – meaning 'life water' –
converts 24 volts of electricity into a radio signal, which charges up the
water via an antennae. Once the device is attached to a hose, thousands of
gallons of water can be charged up in less than 10 minutes at a cost of
pennies.
Speaking
about the new technology, Professor Austin Darragh says:
"Vi-Aqua
makes water wetter and introduces atmospheric nitrogen into the water in the
form of nitrates – so it is free fertiliser. It also produces the miracle of
rejuvenating the soil by invigorating soil-based micro-organisms.
"We
can also make water savings of at least 30 per cent. When the water is treated
it becomes a better solvent, which means it can carry more nutrients to the
leaves and stem and percolate better down into the soil to nourish the roots,
which in turn produces a better root system. Hence the reason you need less
water and why you end up with larger and hardier crops," explains
Professor Austin Darragh.
Extensively
tested in Warrenstown Agricultural College, the technology is being hailed as a
modern day miracle.
Harold
Lawler is Ireland's foremost Agricultural Specialist. As Director of the
National Botanical Gardens and former Master of Agricultural Science at
Warrenstown Agricultural College, he has carried out more research on Vi-Aqua
growth-enhancing technology than perhaps anyone else in the world:
"In
the bedding plants we really saw a difference in the results; they were much
hardier and tougher. You could drop a tray of these plants on the ground and
they would not shatter, like ordinary plants.
"We
also noticed that the treated plants needed far less fertiliser than the
untreated ones. The roots took the nutrients in better whereas with other
normal plants leaching of minerals occurs," explains Harold Lawler.
Impressed,
Harold Lawler's research team carried out further extensive tests on a wide variety
of vegetable plants:
"The
iceberg lettuces were far superior with faster germination, and with carrots
for example, the crops were on average 46 per cent heavier," explains
Harold Lawler.
During
recent successful tomato crop field trials in Italy, three of the country's
largest Agricultural Co-op's were so impressed with the results that they have
now decided to recommend the technology to the country's farming community.
Elsewhere,
the Indian government have now concluded their own tests, which confirm that
they are able to boost tea (plant) production by over a third while using far
less water.
In
recognition of the groundbreaking technology, the Royal Botanical Gardens at
Kew, London, recently took the hitherto unheard-of step of granting Professor
Austin Darragh and his team the right to use their official centuries-old coat
of arms on the new technology – the first time ever that Kew Gardens has
afforded anyone such an honour.
The Kew
Gardens botanists were not just impressed with the research; they used the
technology to restore to life a very rare orchid which had been lying dormant
and practically dead in a greenhouse bell jar since 1942. Amazingly, the orchid
is now flourishing once again.
Intriguingly,
chickens and sheep fed the energised water turned into giants. . . but that's
another story!
Limerick
University off- campus company ZPM Europe Ltd, who are based in the National
Technology Park, Limerick, is now manufacturing the Vi-Aqua technology.
Sunday Independent
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