Nakheel develops new water saving technology for irrigation

The field day addressed a wide range of stakeholders from the public and private sectors including representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture, Zayed International Prize for the Environment, UAE University, Dubai Municipality, Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority, and Landscape Designers and Contractors along with the press.

"This approach encompassed the outsourcing, testing and communicating and sharing outcomes with the local community is another example of leadership and vision by Nakheel," said Mounir Haidar, Head of the Technical Department at Nakheel. "Among other technologies, the research and development department of Nakheel has been piloting and developing a technology that will dramatically reduce the usage of water in landscape irrigation, whilst maintaining and sustaining the healthy and vigorous growth of plant life."

The representatives visited the experiment site based at The Gardens Chiller Plant complex near the Hill Side Villas at The Gardens, where the Nakheel team demonstrated the practical implementation of electro-osmosits irrigation assisted technology, along with the use of soil moisture retention technology.

"The natural environment of all our properties is incredibly important to Nakheel, and we want to provide all our residents with lush surroundings in which to walk, enjoy their leisure activities or to just relax. With this in mind, we have undertaken a series of steps to solve the problem of maintaining sweet water around the roots of the plants existing at our developments. At the moment, the use of extensive amounts of sweet water for irrigation is costly, but has until now been the most effective method in ensuring that the natural saline water of the high water tables toxic to the plants is pushed below the plant roots," he added.

Through Nakheel's trials over the last year, the research found that by using electro-osmosis assisted irrigation it is possible to sustain plant life by using 75 per cent of the normal water demand. Even more impressively, through the use of soil retention additives, healthy and vital plant growth is sustainable whilst using only 50 percent of the normal water demand.

Nakheel initiated trials of this electro-osmosis and soil moisture retention additives as the water tables in this region are in some areas as little as 1 metre below the surface, with much of the water salinities exceeding 100,000 parts per million (ppm) or approximately three times saltier than sea water. With the natural water resource high in saline qualities, the introduction of trees and other plant species has proven to be difficult, as their roots are adversely affected by the salt, which stops their natural growth. As saline water is denser than fresh water, irrigation with fresh water ensures that numerous plant species that are not indigenous to the region can grow.

"Without getting overly technical, the use electro-osmosis assisted irrigation and soil moisture retention additives, helps to reduce the saline qualities of the natural water by the use of an electric current. By placing a wire mesh around the roots of the plants, and sending an electric current through this, it disperses the salt in the water, leaving the water desalinised and perfect for natural irrigation. It also enhances the motion of water through the soil to keep the roots at optimum moisture. In using a blend of local soil with soil moisture retention additives, a soil high in peat content and therefore containing naturally occurring moisture retention qualities, we can reduce the effect of fresh water seeping deep into the soil," continued Haider.

Nakheel observed through extensive trials that by combining specific quantities of local soil and soil moisture retention additives and laying this mixed soil around the plant roots, this improved the moisture retention of the soil, meaning that less irrigation was required. The soil thus acted as a large scale pot plant, feeding nutrients to the plants, as well as providing them with essential water.

"Today's field trip to The Gardens Chiller Plant, was for the express purpose of educating decision makers on how we can maximise the green fields of Dubai and accentuate the environment now and for the future," concluded Haider.

After the year long studies, Nakheel will be implementing the use of electro-osmosis assisted irrigation at other projects currently under development by Nakheel.