As part of the new Aqua-4D website, all Field References are now viewable online. Here we introduce one of the most recent: Almonds.

California produces a whopping 81% of the world’s almonds but has suffered from severe water shortages over the last decade. What if this could be turned on its head, with even less water but higher yields?

It may sound paradoxical, but these were indeed the results of a Central Valley study between involving nonpareil almond trees February 2016 and August 2018. This particular case involved a comparative study of two plots, one control plot irrigated normally and one plot irrigated with Aqua-4D. It’s interesting to note that even in spite of differences in the age of the trees (13 years old vs 5 years old), meaning the Aqua-4D plot already had a 20% head start, there were still huge comparative differences year-on-year of 24% and 38% respectively:

A 38% improvement in production is big news for this valuable crop. But just as important were the water savings this entailed too. Due to the Aqua-4D system’s effect on the structure of irrigation water, it was found that soil moisture in the root zone was significantly improved compared to the control:

These significant water savings and yield improvements mean that this grower got a Return on Investment (ROI) in the space of just 1 agricultural cycle! All the while going a long way to counter the arguments that his industry is a water-intensive one and actively doing something to improve water efficiency through innovation.

Years of proven experience: Field References

The results for Almonds are just one of Aqua-4D’s new Field References available to download and access at-a-glance as PDFs. What are these? They are literally the fruits of years of labor, collecting together as they do innumerable successful case studies involving crops literally all over the world – from Apples in Turkey to Bananas in Brazil and Cucumbers in Uzbekistan. The real-world impact of this technology on different kinds of crops is now there for all to see.

Each Field Reference (FR) is structured similarly for ease of reading with details of the study, the results, accompanied by statistics and graphs.

Keep reading: For related Field References, see the leaching case study at Fresno State University, as well as dozens of other academic studies conducted in partnership with university institutions around the world.