Written by: Aidan Corbo
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Due to rising costs, uncertain demand, and rising input costs for almonds, growers across California are looking for ways to cut costs and increase production. A core to sustainable agriculture is saving costs by maintaining a healthy soil while reducing as much water and fertilizer usage as possible. Fortunately, there is an alternative to current methods of water pH control that can provide exactly that. This alternative is carbonic acid.
Carbonic acid is created by fully dissolving CO₂ in water, and is a safe acid. It is created on-site using CO₂ and specialized equipment that efficiently creates the carbonic acid and injects it into the irrigation water to reach the target pH.
This is novel in agriculture, but not in nature. Dissolving CO₂ in water is a natural process that happens every time it rains, in soil for plants to take nutrients, and carbonic acid even forms every time we breathe to acidify our blood. It’s everywhere.
Due to almonds being a permanent crop, the longevity of soil health in almond orchards is important for long term growth and profitability. Nutrient uptake is a key component to this process.
If the water pH is too low or high, it reduces the efficiency of applied fertilizers, leading to more fertilizer application to compensate, or it can result in nutrient deficiency, and stunt the plant growth. This, however, increases the cost of production. If a grower has a reliable pH regulating system, this is not an issue.
As for soil, the texture ideal for almonds, a sandy loam, typically does not usually have water standing issues. However, salts can build up and reduce the water infiltration and nutrient uptake when the proper water pH (6.0 to 7.0 for almonds) is not met. If this occurs, water doesn’t infiltrate the soil, water evaporates, nutrients can be lost, and can not get to the roots.
With carbonic acid, however, the water pH level the almond tree is receiving can be regulated, providing the highest possible amount of nutrients to the tree, and an optimal environment for the microbial activity in the soil, which fight off diseases and improve nutrient cycling, allowing nutrients to enter the plant. Tests have shown a 74% reduction in electrical conductivity (How much salts are in the soil) when using carbonic acid, starting with 1.3 and ending with 0.3. With more nutrients entering, the plant as a whole is healthier and produces a larger yield.
As the microbial activity improves, the soil organic matter increases. When this occurs, the soil is capable of holding more water for a longer period of time. Because water is retained within the orchard’s soil, less water is needed to be used in irrigation, saving costs.
A Haney test was conducted from the beginning of 2022 to the beginning of 2023 in an almond orchard that used carbonic acid. Results found a 41% increase in soil health, and an increase in soil organic matter from 1.7 to 1.97.
This method of water pH treatment is not only beneficial for the crop itself, but as soil pH and nutrient cycling improves, growers can decrease the amount of fertilizer needed for almond orchards.
When evaluating options for water pH control, carbonic acid can help the grower save compared to other methods like sulfuric acid or a sulfur burner. As mentioned previously, proper pH regulation prevents scaling in the pipes. Scaling, however, is not the only issue that improper pH has. If the pH of water is too acidic, it presents problems for both the crops and irrigation systems.
Improper, or lack of, pH regulation can cause damage to water irrigation systems. When water pH level is too low, it creates the risks of hyper acidification. When this occurs, metal ions (copper, iron, zinc, etc.) begin to corrode and dissolve, causing significatly expensive damage to the irrigation system.
When there is high water pH, however, different problems can occur. Scaling build up in the pipes and drip emitters. If this occurs, some emitters will be clogged (or significantly reduce output), or the pipe as a whole could have scale buildup and increase turbulence and the energy needed to move the water. With proper pH regulation, this does not occur, and distribution uniformity is improved. High levels of alkalinity also ties up nutrients.
Over injecting acid will cause high acidity levels, which is the result of low pH. This risk is common with sulfuric acid and sulfur burners because it is a strong acid (1.0 - 2.0 pH), it is much heavier than water, and sulfur burners lack fine control. For crops, this leads to a decrease in nutrients like phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium, as well as increasing the amount of aluminum and manganese in the soil (which can be toxic in high numbers). If this occurs, the crop is deprived of nutrients, which stunts growth in the roots, causing smaller yields.
Clean water pH control can provide many sustainable farming benefits to almond growers, saving water and improving growing. The cost of adding a carbonic acid service varies depending on the grower.
Such factors include:
If a grower is unsure if they need water pH control, or about carbonic acid, we encourage them to check their current water quality and consult with their agronomists.
A fluctuating demand for almonds in a state where water supply varies every year means growers have to be ready to adapt. If California growers have access to proper pH control systems, they can improve nutrient uptake, can reduce fertilizer use, and save costs.
If a grower is ready to look into pH control systems, then they should first consult with their agronomists, and compile the list stated above. After that, contact a pH control company, and evaluate the pros and cons of different methods.
