Not all water resources can be used in agricultural production, such as industrial wastewater, seawater, and brackish water, which contain biologically harmful substances and cannot be used directly in agricultural production, and need to be treated with technology and equipment before they can be used in agricultural production.
Reverse osmosis membrane technology is better at removing salts from brackish water and is commonly used for the desalination of seawater or brackish water, the softening treatment of water, wastewater as well as purification, concentration, and separation in the food and pharmaceutical industries, and the chemical industry.
NEWater is a manufacturer with research in various reverse osmosis water treatment industries. and has provided different water purification plants after a series of complex process designs in agricultural production, which have a wide range of applications in the agricultural sector all over the world.
What are Agricultural Water Treatment Systems?
Almost all surface water contains some pollutants. Such as bacteria, viruses, chlorides, sulfates, sodium, nitrates, arsenic, etc. Common water sources for agricultural irrigation are generally oceans, rivers, lakes, wells, etc., and the discharged irrigation water and discharged sewage also have an impact on water quality.
With the maturity of water treatment technology, water treatment technology can remove 90% to 99.99% of the total TDS in water. Obtaining a large amount of freshwater by processing surface water from different sources and applying it for agricultural irrigation can help improve the production quality of the farm and achieve exponential growth in financial returns.
Common agricultural water treatment systems include:
- Agricultural reverse osmosis systems
- Salt water treatment for agriculture
- Agriculture water filter system
- Solar desalination system
- Ultrafiltration（UF） system
- Nanofiltration（NF） system
Next, we will focus on how reverse osmosis systems are used in agriculture, aquaculture, and livestock drinking water.
Principles and Advantages of Reverse Osmosis Technology
Principle of Reverse Osmosis Technology
Reverse osmosis technology uses a reverse osmosis membrane to separate solvents from solutes. It works by applying certain pressure to the water so that the water molecules and free mineral elements pass through the membrane, while most of the inorganic salts (including heavy metals), organic matter, and bacteria and viruses dissolved in the water cannot pass through the membrane, thus effectively separating the permeated pure water from the impermeable concentrated water and thus completing the purification of the water.
Advantages of Reverse Osmosis Technology
Compared to traditional methods, reverse osmosis technology does not require an intensive exchange of energy, reducing energy consumption in the treatment process; the application process needless adsorbents and precipitants, it can reduce agricultural production costs; the separation process is relatively simple and does not require long engineering design, shortening the treatment cycle; the purification of water is more efficient and has a good operating environment.
What Can be Removed by an Industrial/Commercial RO System？
(1) Salts that damage the soil and product growth
(2) Toxic heavy metals
(3) Bacteria and viruses that endanger the health of livestock and aquatic products
(4) Mineral elements
(5) Odor and color
It should be noted that the hardness of the water body is very important in some aquaculture and vegetation planting. If it is completely removed, it will cause poor growth and development of animals and plants and limit the reproduction of algae. Therefore, it is necessary to control the proportion of trace elements such as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in the water to avoid loss.
Reverse Osmosis Applied to Agriculture
For Agricultural Irrigation
The plant requires water for irrigation and nourishment. The quality of the water is key when irrigation. Healthy quality water can better provide plants with the substances they need to grow, yet some arid and semi-arid areas face problems such as salinization of the soil, water stress for irrigation, and improvement of the soil and water environment.
Using untreated water such as wastewater, seawater, and brackish water for the irrigation of crops can cause an increase in mineralization in the root zone of crops and affect the transport of soil water and salts. Crop yield and deteriorating quality will reduce once the salt is above a limit, which can affect sales and reputation. And the current measures of irrigation salt washing in order to solve this problem, result in a lot of water waste and land deterioration abandonment.
NEWater company provides a method and equipment for the desalination of agricultural irrigation, applying RO membrane technology to agricultural water-saving irrigation projects from the perspective of agricultural irrigation, providing a new water source for agricultural irrigation, and solving problems with existing technology.
Using reverse osmosis technology to make wastewater, seawater, and brackish water and through a series of the processes such as filtration, adsorption, disinfection, and so on for water treatment, softening the hardness of the water, remove substances harmful to irrigated crops, etc. To ensure that crops are green and pollution-free, thereby ensuring human health.
NEWater Technology Steps for Agricultural Irrigation
Step 1: Pump water from the source water to the filter through the high-pressure pump to obtain filtered water.
Step 2: A portion of the filtered water enters the water mixer directly. and another is passed through reverse osmosis equipment to obtain desalinated atmospheric water, which then enters a water mixer.
Step 3: The mixer mixes the filtered water with the demineralized atmospheric water in a set ratio to obtain irrigation water.
The Main Features of the Reverse Osmosis Desalination Equipment are:
- Reverse Osmosis Membrane
Adopting imported high-quality reverse osmosis membranes can effectively remove dissolved salts, colloids, microorganisms, and organic matter from the water, resulting in high-efficiency and good-quality water. The service life can reach 3 years, reducing maintenance cost investment.
- Reverse Osmosis Desalination Ancillary Systems
The system mainly includes high-pressure pumps, inlet flow conductivity meters, flow meters, automatic control systems, automatic alarm circuits, etc.
- The high-pressure pump provides flow and pressure for further processing in the main reverse osmosis system;
- An Inlet water flow conductivity meter is used to evaluate the water quality and to understand the condition and the treatment capacity of the reverse osmosis system;
- Flowmeters, the system includes two flow meters, which control the flow rate of concentrated and freshwater respectively, and control the ratio of concentrated and freshwater by adjusting the concentrated water regulating valve, thus controlling the recovery rate;
- An automatic control system is the control part of the whole system. It is used to control the inlet and outlet pressure of the components and has the advantage of making the whole process easy to operate without manual control.
- An automatic alarm device circuit is used to protect the operation of the system by returning the incoming water to the intermediate pool when the high-pressure pump suddenly stops, and the water level in the raw water tank is insufficient.
RO System for Livestock and Aquaculture
High-quality water is the medium of survival for livestock farming and other aquatic organisms. It is basic and important to change the water regularly and clean the farm, enclosures, equipment, roads, and disinfection when carrying out animal breeding.
The accumulation of animal excrement and food residues can lead to environmental pollution if not cleaned up in time, may exacerbate the pollution, and easily induce disease, leaving farmed animals in a poor state of stress, with the consequence of reduced fitness, weakened resistance to stress and consequently a serious drop in production, ultimately resulting in bad losses for farmers.
It is important for farmers to ensure that the animal environment is clean and free of debris at all times to improve product quality and economic efficiency.
NEWater reverse osmosis water equipment can be used to treat the water, remove impurities and harmful substances, filter and purify the water, reuse the water, and save the cost for farmers.
RO Technology in Livestock Farming Process:
1) One-stage, Paragraph Treatment Process
This process means that after the slurry enters the membrane module, the water and concentrate are continuously drawn out and then recirculated, with the concentration of the concentrate increasing and the purity of the water becoming higher. This process is a very simple operation, consumes fewer resources and manpower, while it is very cost-effective, does not require overly complex equipment, only lowly technicians, and can be used for agricultural production in areas where labor and technicians are scarce in backward development.
2) One-stage, Multi-Paragraph Treatment Process
Based on One-stage, one paragraph, the water source is concentrated in multiple steps, which is relatively complex and technically difficult to operate, but can further improve water quality and meet higher water requirements and is still widely used. Therefore, in agricultural production, the importance of the One-stage, multi-paragraph treatment process can be increased to give full play to its water purification role and promote the progress and development of water treatment work.
3) Two-Stage, One Paragraph Treatment Process
When the One-stage, multi-paragraph treatment does not meet the requirements, the treatment of the raw liquid can be completed in stages. Not only the quality of the water will be further improved, and the pressure on the membrane module can be reduced to extend its service life and reduce working costs after this treatment but also this treatment does not require multiple manual operations, which reduces the workload of staff and increases the efficiency of the entire water treatment process.
Advantages of NEWater’s Reverse Osmosis Equipment for Agricultural
- Easy maintenance and installation, low costs.
- Imported high-quality reverse osmosis membrane, stable and high-quality water output.
- Water production meets both the quality requirements for agricultural irrigation and the safety of drinking water for livestock breeding.
- The long use time of the reverse osmosis membrane element greatly improved the water treatment flow of the equipment.
- Effective reuse of farm drainage and brackish water.
- Effective in relieving water shortage tensions and greatly improving salinity in saline soils, increasing crop yields.
- No chemicals are used, no pollution to the environment.
Future Trends of Reverse Osmosis Technology in Agriculture
The demand for agriculture will gradually rise in the future, coupled with the fact that consumers also prefer green and healthy food, the requirements for all aspects of agricultural production will tend to be stricter, the most important of which is the requirement for water quality, based on this, water purification as the basic content of reverse osmosis water treatment technology may usher in new development opportunities.
In the long run, the development of a reverse osmosis water desalination process to obtain freshwater is an important way to solve the shortage of water resources for agricultural production. Not only can solve the problem of water scarcity for agriculture, but also a lot of water can be saved. It has the qualities of low energy consumption, high-efficiency water filtration, and resistance to pollution, and is suitable for a wider range of water quality directions.
Conclusion
Reverse osmosis water treatment technology is widely used in agricultural production and is the result of modern society’s concern for the water environment and the ecological environment. With the development of the times, it will accelerate agricultural production and reverse osmosis water treatment innovation.
NEWater reverse osmosis membrane separation technology, a new type of purification technology that is environmentally friendly, free of secondary pollution, with high treatment efficiency and good water output, is increasingly being used in agricultural production.
NEWater is a professional water treatment system solution provider in China and is widely used in the agricultural sector. If you have a need or a technical inquiry in this area, please contact our engineers quickly. We can provide you with professional and competent technical and equipment support.
FAQ：
Why is reverse osmosis used in agriculture?
Reverse osmosis (RO) technology effectively reduces salt, heavy metals, and dissolved contaminants in irrigation water, improving irrigation water quality and making it ideal for agricultural applications.
RO removes harmful impurities from crops and reduces water salinity, thereby improving soil health and reducing the risk of soil salinization. This helps promote crop growth, increase yield and quality, and ensure the long-term sustainability of farms.
Furthermore, in arid or semi-arid regions with limited freshwater resources, RO technology can also reuse saline groundwater or reclaimed water, significantly expanding available irrigation water sources.
When should farmers consider RO water treatment?
Farmers should consider using reverse osmosis water treatment systems when irrigation water has high salinity (typically TDS exceeding 1,000 ppm), contains heavy metal contamination, or when the local area has a long history of relying on saline groundwater or recycled wastewater for irrigation.
These dissolved contaminants are often difficult to remove through traditional filtration methods and require further treatment with RO technology to ensure that irrigation water meets local regulatory requirements and avoids problems such as restricted crop growth and soil crusting.
Is reverse osmosis worth the cost for agriculture?
Yes, for high-value and salt-sensitive crops, the investment in RO (reverse osmosis) is generally worthwhile.
In areas with scarce freshwater but abundant saline water, RO treatment can significantly improve the quality and yield of fruits, vegetables, and greenhouse crops, leading to higher economic returns. Simultaneously, reducing soil salinity avoids expensive later-stage soil remediation costs, demonstrating good cost-effectiveness in the long run.
What crops benefit most from RO-treated water?
High-value crops sensitive to salinity benefit most from RO-treated water, such as greenhouse vegetables, fruits, and cash crops.
Common beneficiaries include tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, strawberries, citrus fruits, grapes, herbs, flowers, carrots, and potatoes. These crops respond significantly to water quality improvements.
However, salt-tolerant crops, such as cotton, sorghum, and barley, benefit relatively less from RO water.
Can RO-treated water be used directly for irrigation?
In most cases, RO permeate can be used directly for irrigation, but in some applications, the mineral content needs to be adjusted.
Because RO water has a low TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), it may lack minerals such as calcium and magnesium needed by plants. Remineralization or fertigation can balance soil pH and nutrient structure, ensuring crops receive sufficient nutrition under long-term irrigation conditions.
How does RO help prevent soil salinization?
Reverse osmosis technology removes excess salt from water before irrigation, preventing long-term salt accumulation in the soil and effectively reducing the risk of soil salinization.
Salinization inhibits crop water absorption and root development. RO systems typically remove 95–99% of dissolved salts, helping to maintain good soil permeability and fertility.
What water sources can be treated by RO for agriculture?
Agricultural reverse osmosis systems can treat a variety of water sources, including: brackish groundwater, saline well water, surface water affected by light industrial runoff, agricultural or municipal wastewater, and seawater.
RO membrane separation technology effectively reduces dissolved salt content in water and is suitable for a wide range of TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) water quality conditions. For water sources with high turbidity or high microbial content, a pretreatment system is usually required to protect the RO membrane and ensure stable operation.
What factors affect RO system size and cost for farms?
Key influencing factors include: source water quality, daily water consumption, crop type, system design, and recovery rate.
Larger farms typically require systems with higher treatment capacity; larger equipment capacity results in higher initial investment. Higher raw water salinity and larger water consumption require higher membrane area, operating pressure, and energy consumption.
Furthermore, the sensitivity of different crops to water salinity determines the product water quality standards, influencing membrane type and system configuration, all of which directly affect the overall system cost.
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