UV disinfection for Horticulture

Sustainable re-use of water and nutrients in the horticulture

Large quantities of fertilizers and fresh water are unnecessarily wasted in Horticulture. This is due to the fact that plants do not absorb all the applied irrigation water at once; a certain percentage runs off. This water can be collected in a drain water tank. Recycling this drain water saves enormous amounts of fertilizers and water. This is not only cost-effective for the grower, but also beneficial to the environment. Recycling drain water requires a technology that eliminates harmful pathogens without affecting the dissolved fertilizers. Only a verified UV-C disinfection system can ensure the reliability of this recycling process.

The Dutch companies, HortiMaX and Van Remmen UV Techniek, have combined their knowledge and experience to find a sustainable solution for the re-use of water and fertilizers. Extensive and close cooperation resulted in an energy efficient and reliable UV-C disinfection solution, specifically developed for the horticultural sector, called VitaLite.

Unlike some default UV-C systems on the market, this custom designed UV-C disinfection system is micro-biologically tested, in order to ensure the required performance. With the VitaLite, a grower can reuse up to 25% of the applied irrigation water and 30 to 50% of the applied fertilizers. A major benefit UV-C light is that there are no chemicals added to the irrigation water. Another benefit of this product is that there is no risk crop damage or residues on the harvested product.

HortiMax launced  the VitaLite at the GreenTech 14-16 June in the Amsterdam RAI.