About the project
We are using this preparatory grant to investigate the feasibility of utilizing what is known as an "ecological machine," combined with floating wetlands (or, artificial ecosystems) to address acute irrigation water quality issues in agriculture posed by pathogenic microorganisms. The concept relies upon twinning biological function & mechanical filtration processes to provide a cost effective and multifunctional solution to this challenge. Many industry standard interventions treat the irrigation water and do not consider remediating the source of the irrigation water, or long term solutions. While they are effective, we consider whether a multifunctional system could also provide useful inputs for the farmer through the growth of the biological units and subsequent processing on farm into biostimulants or biofertilizers. The grant is active through May 2026.Project goal
- Investigate the use of constructed ecologies and mechanical filtration methods in reducing pathogenic micoorganism counts in irrigation water to legislative standard- Research the potential for the biological growth in these systems to be utilized as nutrient sinks, which can then be processed on-farm for closed-loop nutrient cycling (such as fermented duck weed for amino acid inputs)
- Consider whether the short-term intervention of an ecological machine can pave the way for long-term solutions to address the root causes of the problem
- Expand the scope of potential use of such technology to address other water quality issues
UN's Sustainable Development Goals
Joshua Finch
Project Leader