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Each date palm....consumes 100 cu m water per year

Saudi agricultural water use 'could reduce 70pc'

RIYADH, July 10, 2015

Saudi Arabia could cut its agricultural water consumption by up to 70 per cent such as in growing date palms, with the use of Dutch technology on efficient use of water, according to a report.

Currently each date palm consumes roughly 100 cu m of water per year, Dr Hans van der Beek, agricultural counselor at the Embassy of the Netherlands, was quoted as saying in the Arab News report.

The kingdom has stopped wheat production as it needs a lot water but it will continue planting date palms, he said.

The technology involves an integration of steps such as determination of underground water reserves by sensor techniques, and monitoring systems, whether the crop to be planted needs irrigation or not, said the report.

For the technology, six Dutch firms are collaborating with each other with the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) as the coordinator, it said.

The other firms include BroereHortitech B.V. (for a highly sophisticated irrigation system); Dacom (monitoring system and weather station); Acacia Water (soil and water conditions); BLGG (soil analysis) and DLV Plant (training and crop technology).

"This involves climate control, cooling systems and growing technique or the medium used for a plant or crop to grow, e.g. substrates like water or rock wall slabs," Dr Van der Beek was quoted as saying.

"If you have a highly concentrated population of tilapia, you could re-circulate the water in the system which is going through a trickling filter. By this you lose only up to 10 per cent of water but reuse 90 percent of all the water in the system,” he said.

This is called a recirculation aquaculture system, he added.




Tags: Water | agriculture | Saudi | consumption | cut |

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