Iranian technology companies have been tapped to play a bigger role in water and energy conservation projects.
The Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology has urged tech firms to explore and expand their contribution to and role in such projects.
Since March the office has received 46 innovative proposals and 35 have been put forward for implementation, Mehr News Agency reported.
Projects deal mainly in energy technologies, water management technology, heating and electricity, improving wind turbines, solar energy and the commercialization of R&D results.
The office has said it will assist tech companies with ventures that have the ability to foster economic and industrial growth, expand market share and commercialize their innovations.
Government support will include seed money, technical and technological mentorship, low-cost workspace at special tech centers and tech parks plus legal and marketing counseling.
Ongoing Projects
In tech-related news, a knowledge-based company Avisa Hydroculture is offering agricultural technology solutions to curb water consumption in the key sector.
It will educate farmers on hydroponics, a form of greenhouse agriculture that involves growing crops without soil and with less water.
Rasoul Rahnamaei, the CEO said, “Our staff initially prepare analytical reports on the use of light, type of plants, greenhouse quality and other parameters. Later farmers are taught how to better feed their crops as per hydroponic analyses.”
Hydroponics is a form of horticulture and a branch of hydroculture that involves growing plants in an aqueous solvent without the use of soil. Its technology allows terrestrial plants to grow with only their roots subjected to the nutrient liquid, or with the roots supported by an inert medium such as perlite, gravel, or other substrates.
According to Rahnamaei, fish excrement, duck manure, and chemical fertilizers are some of the sources of nutrients used in the hydroponic system.
Pesticides are not used in hydroponic farming and soil contamination does not pose a problem for farmers. Water circulates through the plants during the process, reducing water consumption and the overall cost of farming.
Rahnamaei said hydroponics has several benefits the most important of which is reduction in water use. Iran is facing serious water challenges as precipitation is declining to hitherto unseen levels, consumption in rising and water mismanagement continues.
According to scientific evidence, traditional farming methods need 400 liters of water to grow 1 kilogram of tomatoes. With hydroponics it requires 70 liters.
“Hydroponics uses far less water to grow crops and farmers in harsh environments with limited access to water can upgrade their practices” and profit with these systems, he said.
Energy Consumption
As the going gets tough and the water dries up at alarming speed in most regions, improving water and power consumption patterns with the help of modern technology has become a pressing need. To curb high consumption and waste the Energy Ministry has begun equipping traditional wells with smart meters.
A smart meter is a type of modern electricity meter that sends digital meter readings to the utilities allowing for more accurate billing.
Sensors and valves are placed downhole in smart meter wells to allow for quick and systematic monitoring and discourage excess withdrawal and waste. Stringent regulations include penalties for unruly consumers.
Iran has half million legal wells and 320,000 illegal wells. Last month press reports said in the southern and western desert regions farmers are digging deeper to find water.
Despite meager household water consumption (3%) compared to the farming sector (90%), installation of residential versions of smart water meters is also planned.
Nanotech Solutions
Environmentalists, academia and economic experts are pleading authorities and farmers to embrace nanotechnology to modernize the agro sector and curb water use.
Alireza Allafchian, deputy director of the Nanotech Research Center at Isfahan University of Technology, says efficient management of surface water can have a major positive impact on the key farming sector.
“Nanotech water treatment systems store and purify surface waters and reduce evaporation,” he said. In such systems nanomembranes are used to soften the water and remove physical, biological and chemical contaminants.
He added that nanomaterial has an internal structure or surface structure in the nanoscale – with a length ranging approximately from 1 nm to 100 nm.
Nanotechnology increases crop productivity and minimizes pesticide application by using nanoparticle-mediated gene or DNA transfer in plants.
“Genetic modification of crops, reduction of agricultural waste and higher yields with the use of nano-biocompatible materials are some of the benefits of nanotechnology.”
Nanotech contribution to farming includes the use of nano-formulations of chemicals for developing pesticides and fertilizers, nanosensors for crop protection, identification of disease and chemical residues, employment of nano-devices for genetic engineering of plants and improvement of postharvest management.
