Grozine NFT Hydroponic Trial

Grozine NFT Hydroponic Trial

Controlled Side-by-Side Greenhouse Test of the Fractal Water Vortex Imploder


Trial Summary

Controlled NFT hydroponics trial in a climate-controlled greenhouse on Vancouver Island
Heirloom spinach (Matador) and Genovese Basil grown side-by-side
ONLY variable: Fractal Water Vortex Imploder on test channels vs untreated control
Basil harvest: Fractal Water 777g vs Control 673g (15.5% yield increase)
BRIX levels: Fractal Water 5.5-6.0 vs Control 4.5-5.0 (higher sugar/nutrient density)
Disease resistance: Fractal Water plants resisted Fusarium significantly longer than controls

Originally published in Grozine magazine, May 2015


Test Setup

NFT hydroponic greenhouse setup for the Fractal Water trial
Climate-controlled NFT hydroponic greenhouse on Vancouver Island

Equipment

100L independent reservoirs
264 GPH mag drive pumps
12′ AmHydro NFT channels
3/4″ header tube with 1/4″ feeder lines
Independent aeration and catchment

Growing Conditions

Avg day temp 22°C (72°F) / night 18°C (65°F)
14hr photoperiod with supplemental lighting
1200 PPM CO2 enrichment
RO filtered water (0.1 EC, pH 7.0)
Cultured Solutions Veg A&B nutrients, pH 5.8, EC 1.0-1.2

The ONLY difference between test and control was the Fractal Water Vortex Imploder installed on the recirculation line of the test channels. All other conditions were kept identical throughout the trial.

Fractal Water Vortex Imploder installed on the hydroponic recirculation line
The Vortex Imploder installed on the test channel recirculation line

Grow Journal

May 8, 2015 — System Installation

The trial began with 72 plants placed into the NFT system: 12 spinach and 6 basil per channel, with 2 channels assigned to each treatment group. The Fractal Water Vortex Imploder was installed on the recirculation line feeding the test channels, while the control channels received the same nutrient solution without any vortex treatment.

May 11, 2015 — Early Growth

Three days after transplant, all plants appeared healthy and were adapting well to the NFT system. No visible differences between treated and control groups at this early stage.

May 18, 2015 — Disease Appears

Fusarium wilt disease was identified in four spinach plants — all in the control group. No disease symptoms were visible in any of the Fractal Water treated channels. This was the first indication that vortex-treated water may provide some degree of disease resistance.

Spinach disease in control group hydroponics
Spinach disease in control group
Wilt symptoms in untreated hydroponic plants
Wilt symptoms in untreated plants

Harvest Results — June 12, 2015

After approximately five weeks of growth, all basil plants were harvested and weighed. Fresh marketable material was measured from each treatment group, and BRIX readings were taken with a refractometer to assess sugar and nutrient density.

Mature hydroponic basil plants ready for harvest
Mature basil plants at harvest time
Harvesting hydroponic basil for the Fractal Water trial
Basil harvest in progress

Basil Yield

Control

11 plants
673 grams fresh marketable material
BRIX 4.5-5.0

Fractal Water

11 plants
777 grams fresh marketable material
BRIX 5.5-6.0

15.5% more fresh marketable basil with Fractal Water treatment

Hydroponic basil fresh harvest weights comparison
Harvest weights recorded on the scale
BRIX refractometer readings comparing Fractal Water and control basil
BRIX refractometer readings — higher values indicate greater nutrient density

Disease Resistance Observations

One of the most notable findings from this trial was the difference in Fusarium wilt progression between the two treatment groups. While the disease eventually affected plants in both the control and Fractal Water channels, the treated plants resisted infection for a considerably longer period. Even after the disease took hold, the Fractal Water spinach continued to produce significantly more green, healthy material compared to the control plants.

In a commercial greenhouse operation, this extended resistance window could provide growers with valuable extra time to identify the problem and intervene before losing an entire crop. The ability to delay disease onset and maintain productive growth under pathogen pressure represents a meaningful practical advantage.

Fractal Water treated spinach showing extended Fusarium resistance
Fractal Water spinach — resisted Fusarium longer
Control spinach showing earlier Fusarium wilt damage
Control spinach — succumbed to Fusarium earlier

Video Documentation

Video overview of side-by-side grow trial — May 12, 2015

Comparing roots in spinach, 6 days — May 14, 2015


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