IRRIGATION BY CONDENSATION (IBC)
Irrigation by Condensation (IBC) – a proprietary technology owned by ROOTSSAT Ltd.
IBC is a standalone, closed-loop, solar-operated system that irrigates crops by condensing humidity in the air on the external surface of pipes containing cold running water. The (one time fill up) insulated water tank is cooled to below dew point temperatures. The chilled water is then circulated through pipes in the field or greenhouse, and these pipes are placed on the ground in either a horizontal or zig-zag layout. The humidity that condenses on the pipes flows by gravity to the soil, irrigating and cooling the plants. In many locations, no additional irrigation is required to maintain plant survival and food production.
The amount of water produced and the required energy inputs are related directly to the relative humidity, air temperatures, the surface area of pipes laid in the field, and the temperature of the water circulating in the pipes.
Although IBC itself is not a new concept (IBC has been proved with the use of cold sea water in pipes in Hawaii), ROOTS closed cycle system is the only one that can facilitate food production and positively impact the entire food chain, completely off water and electricity grids.
We demonstrated the ability of our system to sustain the growth of several crops (lettuce, cucumbers, tomato, spinach, wheat, sorghum, grapevines and young avocado trees) using only condensed moisture from the air to irrigate the crops. In hot climates, chilling the roots with the cold condensate reduces the plant’s water needs and its transpiration rate.
The Company is further investigating the technical, economic, and agronomical feasibility of IBC. No technology barriers are anticipated and the Company has developed extensive proprietary knowledge on how to integrate, operate and scale up IBC systems. One IBC system is suitable for 1 acre, and it will enable food production and profit making for 8-16 families, depending on the type of crop, price per kg etc’.
Such an IBC system can provide the annual caloric intake of 40-80 people, depending on the type of crop, the people’s age etc’.. can make international food aid for 40-80 people unnecesassary . The cost of 1 food ration per person is $0.61*,and therefore one IBC system can save 27,000 – 53,000 $ USD of annual food aid. ($0.61 * 3 rations a * 365days * 40-80 people).
