As mentioned in a previous post, freshwater environments across the globe continue to be threatened by the intrusion of brackish and salt-water for a variety of reasons. Resulting in naturally occurring groundwater and other freshwater reservoirs at risk particularly for agriculture.  Brackish/salinated water results in plant stress for producers.  The instability created by this ecosystem change is a major concern in global food security.   

Gaia, a global leader in the ultrafine/nanobubble technology arena has jointly been collaborating within the BioResource & Agricultural Engineering (BRAE) Department at California Polytechnic University (CalPoly), since 2017 to create a solution to this rising problem.

Department Head Dr. Peter Livingston, P.E., and Sara Kuwahara, Ph.D., of Cal Poly’s BRAE Department have been researching the effects of ultrafine/nanobubble oxygenated water and the effects on strawberries in varying saline concentrations and growth media. 

Results from the ongoing two-year study were presented recently on October 23, 2020 to the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) during the virtual meeting.  (ARI comprises of colleges of agriculture and allied disciplines on four California State Universities for the intent of research for sustainable agriculture for the State of California.) To view more media about this study click here.

Dr. Livingston’s Zoom presentation can be viewed below or by clicking here. 

For more information on ARI, visit Cal Poly.