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Moors Nursery grows peppers and has invested in the quality of their irrigation water in recent years. Rob Moors invested in Moleaer, an innovative system that adds a high concentration of oxygen and nano-sized bubbles to the irrigation water. After seeing excellent results from a large pilot on 8 hectares in 2023 Moors decided to implement Moleaer's technology at all three of his locations, covering 25 hectares by the end of 2024. 

A strong root system of a bell pepper plant looks like this in a substrate mat, says Moors. “When we open the mats, we see a homogeneous root system with beautiful white, high-quality roots and many fine hair roots. In the case of a weak or sick plant, we see many brown and even black roots.” Since May 2022, Rob Moors has used Moleaer's water treatment technology at one of his three cultivation sites. Throughout the growing season, the root system quality in the mats was repeatedly tested, and the results were good. “The root system of the plants at this location was visibly better than at the other locations without Moleaer. That was the determining factor in our decision at the end of 2023 to install Moleaer units at all cultivation sites. At our location in Someren we had plant losses in one section last year, hence this choice.”

The quality of irrigation water is crucial in cultivation; it needs to be rich in oxygen and free from pathogens. Fungi can easily spread through water. Higher oxygen levels in irrigation water result in stronger, more resilient roots and plants, reducing the impact of fungal infections. It works both ways. Rob Moors uses spring water as the base for his cultivation, which is purified through iron removal and osmosis. The next step is enriching the irrigation water with oxygen. Moleaer units are connected to the day supply water and fertilizer silo with a capacity of 350 cubic meters. One Moleaer installation continuously adds oxygen nanobubbles of by recirculating water.

Moleaer is a nanobubble generator that adds minuscule and elevated levels of dissolved oxygen to the water. "These are bubbles with a diameter of 100 nanometers; that's as small as a virus," says René Mondt, Technical Specialist at Royal Brinkman. “At Moors Nursery, we choose to enrich the irrigation water with 30 mg of oxygen per liter. The oxygen dissolves very well in the water, with a transfer efficiency of 85% SOTE, much higher than other technologies. With Moleaer, you can cost-effectively and efficiently supersaturate the water with oxygen. The extra oxygen in the irrigation water allows the root system to develop better. And a strong root system provides the plant with a stable base, which it needs during stressful moments in cultivation.” Mondt adds, “Moleaer's technology is high quality; the unit producing oxygen with a concentration of 93%. The oxygen content in the outside air is only 21%. Moreover, oxygen enrichment with Moleaer is chemical-free and emission-free. We add no substances to the water, only oxygen.” Connecting a Moleaer installation to a day supply silo is not too complicated. “A grower could do this themselves,” says Mondt. “But our technicians from the technical department deployd it within a day.”

According to Rob Moors, adding oxygen is an important means of strengthening the plant's root system. “We also regularly check the oxygen content. On one hand, we see the value on the installation, and on the other hand, we regularly take a water sample at the drippers. This gives us the guarantee that the extra oxygen also reaches the plant where it is needed.” Moors regularly consults with fellow bell pepper growers about practical experiences with various oxygen enrichment methods currently on the market. “Compared to the results of these methods, I chose Moleaer's technology. The system is somewhat more expensive but gives the best figures in terms of the oxygen quality nanobubbles. And those figures speak for themselves.”

Moors decided at the end of 2023 to roll out Moleaer's technology to his other nurseries. Moleaer is now operational on 19 hectares, and Rob is doing everything to make the root system of his crops as strong as possible. “We are currently converting the nursery next door, a former tomato nursery, to bell peppers. We will start using this location at the end of 2024 and expand to 25 hectares, stopping at the location in Someren. Then the Moleaer installation will certainly move with us.”

Do you need advice on the quality of irrigation water and oxygen enrichment? Fill out the contact form and our specialist René Mondt will get back to you. On weekdays, even within 24 hours.