The first-in-kind “Lienne-Raspille” project seeks to solve the problem of local seasonal water shortages, and serve as a blueprint for similar regions in Switzerland and across the world.
Gemperle Farms is recognized as a leader in sustainable farming methods. As a result of adopting healthy soil practices, including use of Switzerland’s AQUA4D® precision irrigation technology, Gemperle has observed improved water infiltration and water holding capacity, more beneficial insects, less soil compaction, and overall improved soil tilth.
Faced with the country’s serious water crisis, innovative solutions are being looked at, including the Swiss technology AQUA4D®, which has now been implemented in different municipalities with the purpose of making efficient use of resources.
In a short time, Scott Brooks transformed the irrigation at OGC Nice through a range of sustainable innovations. Here's how he did it.
We face a dilemma: ensuring sufficiently intensive farming and guaranteeing food security worldwide while maintaining biodiversity and protecting the environment. This report looks at some Swiss companies innovating to help the world achieve this.
AQUA4D has continued expansion in California with a new branch office and warehouse, to bring game-changing technology to more US growers and further boost water efficiency, productivity, and salts management.
A large-scale trial of Precision Irrigation technology has concluded its first phase in Chile, with profound implications for the sustainable cultivation of avocados in water-stressed regions.
With several thousand installations, dozens of scientific studies and the recognition of numerous organizations, AQUA4D's effectiveness and both ecological and economic interest are clear. Let’s look at some of its success stories in urban water infrastructure.
AQUA4D is happy to announce a new strategic collaboration with the world leader in micro irrigation, NETAFIM. Addressing water stress, mitigating climate change, and improving efficiencies require us all pulling together to forge a sustainable future; this partnership is a big step in this direction.
Recent years are showing that even this "Chateau d'Eau" is not immune to the stresses of a changing climate. Thankfully, Swiss innovation is helping secure water supplies and mitigate the effects of warming temperatures and water stress.
We may still be in a pandemic, but there were plenty of reasons to be cheerful this year – and to hope that 2022 will be even better. Before we go into the new year, we wanted to look at some of the highlights from the last 12 months and shout out to a strong global team which made it all possible.
There’s no doubt these two technologies are the future: they are efficient, sustainable ways to treat water. They offer decisive advantages over most other technologies, and make it possible to massively reduce the use of chemicals in the water cycle.
The AQUA4D® system has contributed significantly to solving turf issues at the AFAS Training Complex in Wijdewormer, home of AZ Alkmaar football club (Eredivisie). "We now have no more dead grass spots because AQUA4D® creates smaller water clusters, so they get into the smallest pores," explains groundsman Wouter Uitentuis.
Given the size of green landscapes, water conservation here can have huge impacts on general water efficiency efforts. This is the case with golf course irrigation, where in Chile an increasing number of clubs are looking to employ the latest technology to optimize their water use.
Part of this interview was published in FreshPlaza in November 2021 (see original here). Whenever you take a commodity out of its region of origin, there can be challenges in the growing process. So has been the case with
To coincide with COP26 in Glasgow, we outline how Precision Irrigation can hold the key to mitigating climate change, cutting emissions, saving resources, and pursuing a more regenerative approach to agriculture.
“This is scientific proof of what our customers have observed after having installed an AQUA4D® system, and the knock-on benefits they have seen in their crops.” – Charles-Henri Faure, CTO, AQUA4D
After numerous installations proving the efficiency of AQUA4D® in buildings in Valais, Switzerland, the regional government has now explicitly mentioned this technology in their directives for energy and resource use.
Matias Manriquez from the Swiss Embassy in Chile reports how Swiss technology is helping combat water scarcity in one of the most water-stressed regions in the world, including important new initiatives and certifications which will streamline and incentivize water efficiency in Chile.
A landmark project involving AQUA4D® has won this year’s inaugural #PrixAlpiq (Alpiq Prize). The winning project aims to reduce the water requirements of agriculture in a Swiss municipality by up to 40%.
AQUA4D is speaking with some of the people making tangible impacts across the world in the name of soil health and regenerative agriculture. This week it's Cristine Morgan of the Soil Health Institute who are spearheading adoption of regenerative agriculture in the US.
Technology can go a long way to solving some of the most pressing issues faced in agriculture. But as is often the case, when human ingenuity combines with innovative tech, we can start to make a real difference.
This study was conducted as part of a USAID collaboration in Palestine. Here we summarize the academic article, which can be found in the Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology A 4 (2014).
Brian Richter has been a global leader in water science and conservation for more than 30 years. Here he talks with AQUA4D about water efficiency, the connection between soil health and irrigation, and reasons to be optimistic.
A large Swiss veg producer has adopted the AQUA4D® system to save water and increase efficiency (published in La Liberté newspaper)
This “Smart Irrigation Month”, we shine a light on what we do at AQUA4D® to not only combat water scarcity but also create shared value for people and the planet.
AQUA4D is speaking with some of the people making tangible impacts across the world in the name of soil health and regenerative agriculture. This week it's Bastien Sachet, CEO of Earthworm Foundation who are furthering the cause of regenerative agriculture around the world.
Veracruz is currently testing water treatment which enables an average 20% reduction of water use, believing this technology could be promising for optimizing both water and fertilizer use.
With water stress on the rise around the world, football pitches are as much under threat as agricultural fields and urban landscapes. Here we look at some leading groundsmen and the technologies they use to combat a changing climate.
After months of behind-the-scenes action, we’re delighted to officially unveil our all-new corporate image and website. This rebrand comes as a natural development at a time when the company has gone from strength, solidifying its place in its main
This article appeared in Chile’s emol.com / El Mercurio in April 2021. AQUA4D is a Swiss company with vast experience in this field and has developed innovative methods to achieve better water management, reducing water consumption by an average
Part of this interview was published in the March issue of American Fruit Grower magazine. Q: What is the most relevant irrigation issue for fruit growers California in 2021? The most relevant irrigation issue for growers is the efficiency
This article originally appeared in FreshFruitPortal in January 2021. Like many places in Peru and Chile, the coastal area of northern Peru suffers from increasing soil salinity. This presents particular difficulties for the cultivation of avocados, an important export
After numerous installations proving the efficiency of AQUA4D® in buildings in Valais, Switzerland, the regional government has now explicitly mentioned this technology in their directives for energy and resource use.
How can I ecologically and economically solve limescale and corrosion problems in older buildings? This question is asked by many property owners and managers. Because they know the problem can become huge when the pipes become more and more
Experts are well aware that water softeners are not always suitable for residential drinking water. The harder the water, the more sodium they release into the water. It is now widely known that this is unhealthy. Info about sodium
This article originally appeared in Chile's El Mercurio newspaper. IST Group (AQUA4D Chile) and SGS have reached an agreement to introduce innovative and sustainable technology for water resource optimization and efficiency in mining processes. Water scarcity, salinity and water
This is an adapted version of an article published in the journal Soil & Tillage Research (2020) With an increase of high-profile projects in various countries, the effects of AQUA4D® technology on irrigation water are being increasingly studied. However,
Coming from international roles with Irrigaronne and Linsday Corporation, Yvain Mirabal is embarking on a new challenge heading up the new Macro Irrigation business unit at AQUA4D. Here he explains what convinced him to make this change – and how
Çiltar Tarim Enterprises, based in Turkey’s Central Anatolia region, has a proud history of strawberry seedling cultivation stretching back four decades. Always ready to try new technologies to optimize their production, in 2020 they installed the AQUA4D® system –
George Hércules de Melo explores the effects of water-smart technology in challenging irrigation settings.
Definition of Physical Water Treatments in Context with Other Types of Treatments At Wikipedia one finds under the term "processes of water treatment" under physical processes actually chemical processes. So it says there e.g. aeration, atomization, sedimentation, flotation, adsorption.
"With AQUA4D entailing less fertilizer use and less frequent irrigation, this means savings of fertilizers, water, and manpower - this is the dawn of a new agricultural era."
With these recent successes at almond and pistachio orchards, AQUA4D® has shown it is the most efficient soil salinity solution currently on the market.
With proven results around the world, AQUA4D® technology is well-placed alleviate the resource challenges faced by Chile and Latin America.
SITUATION At A.B. Gida, a large laying hen farm in Turkey, managers were faced with persistent blockages in their water systems which were influencing the health of their hens. Farm managers chose to use physical water treatment to clean
Brazilian growers are adopting AQUA4D® to optimize irrigation, promote water efficiency, and restore soils. Here are some of the proven benefits.
Like many countries, Morocco is faced with increasing water scarcity and drought. Thankfully, help is at hand thanks to the growth of efficiency-boosting innovations in agtech.
This article originally appeared in the AgriHebdo magazine (in French). Click here to access the original. Water is precious: AQUA4D has developed a system that not only saves water but uses its inherent characteristics to solve several challenges facing
What started as an endeavor to solve a salinity issue gave them increased yields, water savings, and a sustainable technology offering climate resilience for many years to come.
With AQUA4D® treatment there is a noticeable improvement in the relationship of water with the soil and the plant. In various regions of Brazil and the world, this technology consistently gives positive results, water savings, desalination of soils, and gains in yields, plant health and fruit quality.
After numerous installations proving the efficiency of AQUA4D® in buildings in Valais, Switzerland, the regional government has now explicitly mentioned this technology in their directives for energy and resource use.
"Coming from a vineyard where technology was one of its main pillars, I see that the potential is gigantic...AQUA4D treats the irrigation water, a transversal element in the Chilean viticulture, where the efficiency demands are higher and higher. The impact is at all levels: In production issues efficiencies, savings and quality improvements are generated."
Developing Circular Water Efficiency Across Multiple Industries In many ways, AQUA4D has always been ahead of the curve. Water efficiency is truly hitting the headlines in 2020, with water stress becoming a hot issue in many countries, and new
This article, originally published in Bâtitech magazine, highlights AQUA4D's sustainable water treatment in three different sectors.
These stories from around the world show how producers & innovators are adapting, how the crisis is exacerbating existing water and resource issues, and how traditional agriculture is turning to agtech faster than ever before.
Aqua4D redeploys 3D printers to help hospitals' COVID-19 efforts Switzerland, like most other countries in the world, is currently gripped and brought to a standstill by the coronavirus crisis. But although companies have depleted staff numbers, with many self-isolating
Swiss cleantech firm AQUA4D is bringing its water-smart irrigation solutions to ever more growers in 2020: A brand-new HQ in Valais, Switzerland, gives the company a solid base from which to grow, and assemble all its products in-house. Meanwhile, a
Dutch growers are known optimizing every aspect of their growing process. However, in some cases a humble foe persists in causing problems: the nematode. Thankfully, a new cleantech Swiss innovation can eliminate these pests - and increase growth and quality.
On World Water Day, delegates agreed on active measures to combat the growing water crisis. Here we highlight the ways in which Aqua4D is fulfilling these goals and encouraging good water management.
AQUA4D® offers a cutting-edge solution which saves water, leaches salts, and even allows for irrigation with poor quality or saline water. What's more, these solutions also lead to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions outlined here.
This time of year is always a reflective time, anticipating the year ahead and looking back on the last 12 months. 2019 was an especially landmark year for us at Aqua4D. Here are some of our highlights.
Becoming climate resilient can be as simple as increasing efficiency through plug-and-play solutions and making subtle changes to irrigation management.
Aqua4D has joined forces with IST Group to support the largest reforestation initiative in Chile, as part of the 6D movement. Making news across the country, 15,000 trees were planted in Renca, Santiago.
Climate Show: Food Security & Climate-Smart Agriculture @ Aqua4D, Sierre Last week, Aqua4D had the honour of welcoming some of the brightest innovators from Switzerland and beyond to its new HQ in Sierre, Valais. The Climate Show arrived in
In North Africa and the Middle East, food producers face two common and related antagonists: soil salinity and poor-quality water with high salt content. Growers are now increasingly turning to new agricultural technologies to overcome this.
We’re still in the early years of the 4.0 revolution, but precision measurements and big data are already transforming many industries – none more so than agriculture.
This is a version of an article which appeared in November 2019's Irrigazette, a leading international irrigation magazine.
Aqua4D was delighted to take part in a recent horticultural roadshow in the Netherlands, a series of seminars on the latest innovations in horticulture and precision irrigation technology.
Having yielded superb results in agriculture (water savings, increased production) and buildings (unclogging and limescale removal), Planet Horizons’ Aqua4D technology is drawing interest from industrial sectors to see how this innovation can increase sustainability and efficiencies.
“As we say in Holland, measuring is knowing,” says 2Grow co-founder Olivier Begerem with a knowing smile. “In horticulture there are still too many things being done based on assumptions, still too many mistakes being made. In our opinion it’s time to stop assuming and start measuring.”
Morel Diffusion is a cyclamen seed producer, known worldwide for its colourful varieties. Headquartered in Frejus, southeastern France, their site covers a greenhouse area of 3 ha and 5000 m2 dedicated to R&D.
We are in the midst of an unprecedented water crisis. South American regions are declaring an agricultural state of emergency, California’s wells are running dry, and countries from Belgium to Botswana are facing significant water stress. But there’s hope on the horizon, thanks to water-smart technologies.
After meeting recently at an industry event at the Swiss Embassy in Santiago, the National Irrigation Commission (CNR) were intrigued to find out more about how Aqua4D can help alleviate Chile’s growing water crisis.
This is an extract from a recent interview given to Radio Agricultura in Chile, where Felipe Villarino discusses the 2030 Water Awareness program and how new technologies like Aqua4D can help address the water crisis in Chile.
With academic origins at an alpine university and now headquartered in the wine and ski region of Valais, Aqua4D is Swiss through and through. But it goes much deeper than just the red and white flag.
Be part of a fast-growing, innovative and sustainable Swiss company. Now recruiting a Technical Sales Agronomist for an exciting new project.
The São Francisco Valley is one of Brazil’s “fruit baskets”, producing most of the country’s grape and mango exports.
After a long appraisal process, Aqua4D has been officially named one of the “1000 Solutions” chosen by the World Alliance for Efficient Solutions.
After persistent loss of yield due to nematodes, and a desire to move towards a more sustainable agriculture, these growers in Senegal looked to the Aqua4D system after having seen its successes in other countries.
Water scarcity is now an increasing environmental concern around the world. Nowhere is this more pressing than in Chile, a country on the frontline of this growing crisis.
Felipe Villarino from Aqua4D Chile recently took part in a stimulating discussion with Radio Zero’s WorkCafe program. The full interview is available to listen to here (in Spanish), and also in text format below.
To mark 15 years since the company’s establishment, Aqua4D hosted a celebration at its new headquarters in Valais, Switzerland. Around 100 guests gathered on the roof, with the Swiss mountains providing a breathtaking backdrop.
A big part of Aqua4D’s work is its team of experts who constantly visit client sites and consult on optimizing irrigation to get the most out of the company’s patented technology. Back in October 2018, Aqua4D Field Engineer, Hugo Gaignebet, wrote a progress report for this blog.
Now over ten times more popular than in the 1980s, in some ways the avocado has been a victim of its own success. Its notoriety (particularly amongst millennials) has brought its supposed water footprint in Chile under the spotlight, but often in reports which turn a blind eye to other water-thirsty crops.
Alberto Femenia sits before us wearing an immaculate suit and a wise smile. He’s a true veteran in the agri-business, having headed up Casa Femenia for almost half a century.
On a recent visit to our new Headquarters in Sierre, Joao Suss shared his thoughts on sustainable agriculture and his experience with the Aqua4D system in Brazil.
Walter K. Thut, the Swiss co-founder of Aqua4D, is now based in California. On a recent visit to Gemperle Family Farms in Turlock, he wanted to find out more about water use in the almond industry, beyond the headlines. He spoke to Richard Gemperle about this and more:
As part of the new Aqua4D website, all Field References are now viewable online. Here we introduce one of the most recent: Almonds.
Aqua4D Chile is delighted to have signed a national-level agreement with the INACAP Technological University of Chile. The agreement pertains to technology transfer for the efficient use of water in the agriculture industry, and will allow the university’s almost 200,000 students access to Aqua4D’s innovative irrigation technology.
Hot on the heels of Aqua4D’s appearance in the innovation final at the Climate Show in Lausanne, here’s a closer look at how this Swiss Cleantech company’s technology can save all kinds of natural – and monetary – resources, while contributing to both sustainable...
The Climate Show 2019 is being held in Lausanne, Switzerland this week, with a special focus on rising companies with technologies and solutions for climate protection and sustainability. Aqua4D were shortlisted for the keynote innovation competition as part ...
“Projected climate change impacts are expected to reduce water supplies and increase water demand. The economic health and sustainability of irrigated agriculture will depend on the ability of producers to adapt to growing constraints on water, particularly...
Aqua4D is delighted to have been welcomed as a member of the World Alliance for Efficient Solutions at the end of 2018, with a view to becoming one of the 1000 Solutions it champions.
After a proven record of success with various crops over the last decade, Aqua4D has been given initial Phase 1 funding by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (under grant agreement No 815633) to explore the possibility...
As we the curtain falls on another year, we look back at some of the true highlights of a great 12 months:
Patrick Limousin is based in the Rhône-Alpes region of France, and his company produces around 100 million young plants per year (lettuces, cabbages, melons, and more). After being beset by persistent limescale problems, he contracted Aqua4D to see if they could help solve this issue.
Originally published in Dutch in Blomen Planten Nieuws, 12 December 2018 The flower grower Lisianthuskwekerij Floralis is, in their own words, fond of experimenting and improving, says Jan-Willem Aarse. “We like to see how it can be cleaner, more sustainable and better.
After his recent move to California to work as USA Manager, we caught up with Aqua4D co-founder Walter K. Thut for an in-depth conversation about past, present, and future.
At AgroAlimentaria 2018 in Guanajuato, Mexico, Patrick Rosat took a moment to speak with Pedro Vega, Director General of Latamseeds, about the past year and how things are looking for 2019.
No other fruit has seen such exponential growth in popularity as the once-humble avocado. A firm favorite of the “superfood” category, they’re high in fiber, vitamins, and healthy fats. This wasn’t always so;
After a two-year process of application and thorough testing, AQUAD’s proprietary technology has been granted CB certification by the IECEE.
At the HQ in Switzerland, we caught up with Markus Schwery, recently appointed as Head of Technical Support for Animals and Buildings, to find out more about this role and this area of Aqua4D.
A changing climate is having unpredictable consequences on grape crops all around the world. 2017 was anything but a vintage year for wine harvests; the EU hit a 36-year low, while Chilean growers reported an uncharacteristically early harvest with high temperatures and low yields.
A huge part of what Aqua4D does is not just delivering its plug-and-play solution, but also providing long-term support and project follow-ups. This means that the technical team for each region spends a high percentage of their working life on site visits to various places.
In mid-October 2018, Patrick Rosat (Global Business Director, Aqua4D) visited Chile for a thoroughly engaging event with the Australia-Chile Chamber of Commerce. This took place in conjunction with Aqua4D’s distributor in Chile, Inversiones Villarino...
Along with partner firms WaterQ, Cindro, and Biotamax, Aqua4D is participating in a landmark two-year study between KWR Watercycle Research Institute and Wageningen University.
With record temperatures, super storms, raging infernos, and massive flooding, 2018 has been a bad year for Planet Earth. But it may also go down as the year humanity was shocked into making meaningful changes.
Latin America is an important region for Aqua4D, with several significant projects in countries such as Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Brazil and a team of local agronomists on the ground.
The issue of salt accumulating in soil is as old as agriculture itself. ‘Salinity crises’ resulted in the collapse of ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, and salinization was one of the catalysts for the invention of the world’s first irrigation systems[1] [2].
This article originally appeared in Portuguese in “Campo & Negocios”, September 2018 Coffee of excellent quality is now being produced in regions previously considered unsuitable due to water scarcity, such as Triângulo Mineiro...
Almula Tarim have been growing apples successfully in Turkey since 1999. The company’s 740-acre orchard is located in Ulukışla, in the south-central part of the country.
Melons are a big deal in Brazil, with production totalling 596,430 tons – up from 139,768 as recently as 2000 according to FAOSTAT (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).
AQUA4D is pleased to contribute to a total of 11 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out by the United Nations.
Nematodes. There may be no other creature so omnipresent around us yet so unknown outside of specialist circles. Nathan Augustus Cobb, widely recognized as the “father of nematology” summed up their ubiquity in a 1915 essay [1]:
When you think of a Peruvian fruit, it’s probably avocados which spring to mind, and indeed Peru is the largest exporter of the green wonderfruit to Europe. But it’s an unlikely fruit of a different colour which has seen an exponential growth in recent years: the blueberry.
Aqua4D Water Solutions is a Swiss Cleantech company, designing, manufacturing and distributing innovative easy modular systems for an efficient use of irrigation water in over 40 countries.
Hortitec is the largest horticulture trade fair in Latin America, held annually in Holambra, São Paulo. Holambra itself is the horticultural epicentre of Brazil and is especially known for flowers – thanks in no small part to its origins as a Dutch colony.
The 3rd edition of GreenTech drew to a close on June 14th, after three successful days of sharing ideas, showcasing new products and discussing fruitful new collaborations.
June is set to be another busy month on the road for Aqua4D, with presence at several events across the continents, looking to introduce its technology to a new audience.
We caught up with Hugo Gaignebet, Technical Support at the Aqua4D HQ in Sierre, Switzerland.
Biofilm is defined as an “aggregate of bacteria that adheres to a surface”[1]. This so-called “bacterial adhesion”[2] is like a living tissue on the pipe’s surface, and is a paradise for bacteria of all kinds, providing a nutrient-rich environment which facilitates growth.
Aqua4D is excited to announce the release of its first ready-made 24 x TU 360 skid system. Sometimes referred to as a “system in a box”, a skid is a process unit which is manufactured off-site as a self-contained system.
From March 23-25, Aqua4D and our distributor Tonello Soluciones Integralestook part in AGROEXPO 2018 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, an event which drew over 60,000 visitors from the region’s agricultural sector.
Month by month, year by year, Aqua4D Water Solutions has achieved consistently impressive results across the globe, enabling farmers to increase yields and profits while overcoming poor soil and water conditions.
Aqua4D Water Solutions continues to expand its footprint in the U.S. agriculture industry, particularly in California and Washington.
The 2016-17 rain and snow season will long be remembered by California farmers. Not only did it end the five-year drought, it did it in historic fashion.
Almula Tarim has been growing apples successfully in Turkey since 1999. The company’s 740-acre orchard is located in Ulukışla, in the south-central part of the country.
Fertilizer use varies from field to field and orchard to orchard, but it annually ranks as one of the major costs confronting California growers.