Vital boost to Aussie wine, fruit and vegie industry

If you’ve noticed a change for the better in the quality of your wine grapes, fruit and vegetables lately, chances are that our 100% Australian water treatment technology is involved. Wine grape, fruit and vegetable growers across the country are experiencing faster growth, bigger and healthier crops and improved yields after treating their water with our DELTAwater solutions water treatment technology.

South Australian Wine Grapes

Grape growers in SA’s productive Riverland are turning to the technology to drastically cut maintenance and improve performance in their vital irrigation systems. Renmark-based irrigation agronomist Trevor Sluggett says growers are so pleased with the results after installing the DELTA technology, they’ve returned for more units.

Trevor, who works with Riverland-based firm River Rain Irrigation, says some growers plagued with clogged dripper irrigation systems due to algae and other biological activity have reported substantial maintenance savings after installing the DELTA water treatment technology.

Grape grower Dino Sigismondi, who with wife Veronica grows grapes on about 250 hectares of land split between Lyrup and New Residence districts on the Murray River, reckons it was a ‘very good day’ when he first installed the DELTA water treatment technology on his drip irrigation system about six years ago. Since then Dino, from SA’s productive Riverland, has added another five DELTA units to his vineyard operation after the technology proved resoundingly successful in banishing algae from irrigation systems.

“The units keep the dripper lines very clean,” Dino says. “Since installing them I haven’t had to chlorinate the drippers and I used to do that twice a year. We’ve now got a clean irrigation system, a more efficient system, the pressure is higher and I think the vines look a lot healthier too. Since we installed the first DELTA we haven’t looked back.”

Grape grower Louis Curtis believes his irrigation system is cleaner and more efficient since he installed the DELTA water treatment technology to treat river water supply. Louis, who runs second-generation Curtis Vineyards at Pike River in SA, says he turned to DELTA technology about three years ago after becoming frustrated with having to clean filter systems at his pump stations so regularly.

“Over time I noticed the automatic flush filters weren’t flushing as often and that tells me the system’s running much cleaner,” he says. “I pulled the filters down a few months later and they were cleaner. It has cut maintenance of the filters at the pump station by at least 30 per cent.”

Water with extremely high mineral content, WA

It’s a similar story in other Australian fruit and vegetable-growing areas. Geraldton’s Allen Espinos, who has harsh bore water with extremely high mineral content, reckons the only difference between a dead melon and vegetable crop and his now-thriving one is the DELTAwater water treatment technology. And he has a 17.8-kilogram watermelon to prove it. “It’s done a brilliant job,” Allen says. “It’s blown me away.”

QLD, tip burn

In Bundaberg, QLD, Andrew Dowling grows six varieties of lettuce hydroponically under shade cloth. Most of it ends up as salad mix destined for pubs, clubs and restaurants in the local area. He harvests about 4000 plants a week and he used to pack 20 whole lettuces to a box. Now, with DELTA on the job, he can only fit 15 in each box because of the growth increase. He initially sought help with his water supply, sourced from Paradise and Fred Haigh dams, after struggling with tip burn on his crop for nearly a decade. The market gardener, who installed a grade-five DELTA water treatment unit to condition water earmarked for his lettuce in late May this year, declares he won’t grow another thing on his block unless it’s watered with DELTA-treated supply. “I now have 100 per cent no intention of growing anything here without using DELTA with my water,” Andrew says.

Water with high levels of sodium, chloride and acidity

Then there’s WA market gardener Ben Tran who says the DELTA water treatment technologyhas delivered better yields at the Bullsbrook property where he and his parents grow capsicums, strawberries, tomatoes, eggplants and watermelons. The family turned to DELTA to counteract the toll their groundwater, with its high levels of sodium, chloride and acidity, was taking on plant growth and yield on their 65-hectare property. “This is good technology,” Ben says. “A lot of research has gone into it and DELTA is very good to deal with too.”