Grozine NFT Hydroponic Trial

by fractal · Published June 15, 2015 · Updated January 31, 2020

http://www.grozine.com/2015/05/11/fractal-water/

Fractal Water

Vortex Imploder Greenhouse Hydro Garden Test

Fractal water is said to provide a higher level of hydration and overall health in crops, animals and people. We agreed to put the concept to the test with a Vortex Water Implopder, supplied to us from FractalWater.com. Through our greenhouse hydroponics garden testing, we have observed and documented the profound differences water quality can have on how our plants perform. For example, recently we did a side by side Grow Trial in a climate controlled greenhouse with supplemental lighting and carbon dioxide using a single water source with two different levels of water filtration being used (Hydrologic Stealth Filter and GroGreen Filter) to fill two identical twin RDWC hydroponics systems (Under Current Pro). Please review the following | LINK | to see the difference in crop health and growth that higher quality water stimulates under real world growing conditions.

$fractal water greenhouse hydroponics$

What is the Theory Behind Fractal Water?

$fractal water imploder concept$

Fractal Water Testing

All other factors in our controlled test remain equal. The ONLY difference in the two independent NFT reservoirs, returns and manifolds side by side in our climate controlled greenhouse with supplemental lighting is the fact that the NFT channels with the BLUE stickers on the returns are receiving the re-circulated nutrient solution after it has passed through the Vortex and Imploder in the fractal water arrangement supplied to us. The channel returns with the SILVER stickers are receiving an identical treatment, with the exception that the re-circulated nutrient solution is not passing through a fractal water device as it is being fed to the crops.

Fractal Water Greenhouse Test Set Up:

100L independent reservoirs
264 GPH Eco Sub mag drive pumps
12′ AmHydro NFT Channels
3/4″ diameter main header tube
1/4″ feeder lines from independent manifolds to NFT channels
airstones, air supply (aeration in reservoir)
independent catchment troughs with 1″ diameter return lines
heirloom spinach variety, “Matador”, a bolt resistant variety we have experience growing. We also planted some Genovese Basil, as rooted cuttings from our Aquaponics system
pH manual adjustment daily, approx 5.8, EC 1.0 to start, increasing to 1.2 EC. Cultured Solutions Veg A&B with Sensi Cal (cal-mag supplement)
raw water is filtered via Tall Boy sediment, to Stealth RO 200 GPD model. Cold water membrane used to conserve waste water. Approx 0.1 EC in product water, pH 7.0

The ONLY difference between the two systems is the fact that two of the channels in the staggered four channel arrangement in an area of approx three feet by twelve feet is that the water passes through the Vortex Imploder as water is pumped from the re-circulating reservoir to the feeder tubes for the TEST channels. Each CONTROL and TEST set-up operates with independent but identical reservoirs and conditions.

$fractal water vortex imploder hydroponics garden$

$fractal water irrigation system$

The Greenhouse Environment

Springtime in Mid Vancouver Island (days lengthening, warming)
Avg day temperature is 22 Deg C (71.6 Deg F), Avg Dark Temperature is 18 Deg C (65 Deg F)
Photo period average 14 hours light, 10 hours dark with dark cycle decreasing into long days*
Avg 1200 PPM Carbon Dioxide enrighment
Humidity range is 20% to max 70%
Ventialtion is provided by circulating fans, solar vent shutter and roll up side walls
greenhouse is gothic arch, single layer 6 mil, 4 year poly with IR and Anti Condensate, 12′ X 20′ X 9′ (ridge height)
Supplemental Lighting is via PL Lights

Grow Journal for Fractal Water Grow Trial

May 8th, 2015: installed independent catchment and feeder systems to 100L reservoirs, vortex imploder on TEST troughs installed. Twelve Matador spinach seedling plugs and sixrooted Genoves Basil cutting plugs per channel, two channels per treatment, 72 plants total in test.

May 11th, 2015: added approx 10 liters water to each reservoir (identical water use). all plants appear healthy and are taking well to NFT system and greenhouse growing conditions

*to be continued*

ABOVE: Video overview of side by side grow trial, 05-12-15

ABOVE: Comparing Roots in Spinach, 6 Days, 05-14-15

May 18th, 2015: Continued conditions, as previous. Have noted what appears to be a “wilt disease” ie Fusarium in significant levels in FOUR individual SPINACH plants (Matador). NOTE: the four plants that appear to show symptoms of crop disease are in the CONTROL group (Silver Stickers on catchment troughs). No disease visible to date in the TEST (Fractal Water) NFT Channels, see IMGS BELOW. UC Roots has been added to both reservoirs, as per label (Chloride)

Fractal Water Grow Trial #1 Conclusion:

June 12^th, 2015: Harvest.

At harvest time, eleven of each treatment of Genovese Basil grown in recirculating NFT hydroponics were removed from the system as whole, fully mature plants to be weighed in as commercially marketable fresh basil, ie removed from main stalks and stems.

A very high percentage of the material was marketable, there were no yellow leaves to discard, plants were vibrant and emerald green from top to bottom (as indicated in photos).

The quality of the basil in both NFT grown treatment was very high, pungent, almost oily feeling leaves with a deep Genovese spicy sweet musk; ideal for fine cooking and cuisine.

Note that early on in the study we reported to be what appeared to be an outbreak of Fusariumin our spinach portion of the crop (heirloom, “Matador”) that we tracked back to our propagation phase. We did not count or weight the spinach as it was not marketable by harvest date, noting that we could likely have surpassed the outbreak in both treatment, butallowed it to run the course for the purposes of study and education, as related to hydroponic crop cultivation.

**Some of the interesting things we noted re Fusarium:**

Did not affect the Genovese Basil sharing the same channels and same reservoirs with the spinach
Most noteworthy to our observations for the purposes of this study was the fact that the Fractal Water treatment plants resisted the disease for considerably longer, and even after finally succumbing to the pathogen, they still produced considerably more green material than the control spinach plants not using the Vortex Water Imploder. If we were growing commercially, this could have bought the time we needed to provide treatments to save the spinach crop, ie Ozone or Microbial.