RAINBOX
MAKING EVERY DROP COUNT
Research regarding irrigation water continues to take place at Michigan State University.
At this year's Michigan Turfgrass Foundation Field Day at Michigan State University Hancock Turf Research Center, golf course superintendents were introduced to a RainBox research site and its approach to irrigation-water treatment by Thomas A. Nikolai, PhD and Michael Rabe.
Then Dr. Nikolai said something that caught everyone's attention:
“The data on RainBox looks promising.”
From the Research to the Course
Ben Keeler, Superintendent at Forest Akers Golf Course at Michigan State University, was also asked to share his observations from using RainBox.
His answer was simple:
“It is working as I hoped.”
Keeler reported that water is moving through the course surface more effectively. He also noted that his irrigation system has not presented the challenges he has experienced in the past.
He reported no need to flush the system because of infiltrates or blockages and no need to replace irrigation heads because of infiltrate-related damage.
For a superintendent, those observations matter.
Because irrigation isn't simply about applying water.
It's about getting water through the system, into the soil and where the turf can use it.
What Makes RainBox Different?
RainBox uses an Advanced Oxidation Process (R-AOP) designed to optimize irrigation water.
The process uses photon-energy-loaded oxygen and hydrogen peroxide as a catalyst to generate highly reactive species within flowing, pressurized water. The treatment is designed to address biological, organic and inorganic impurities while distributing oxygen through nano- and microbubbles.
The goal isn't simply to remove everything from the water.
It's to optimize the water.
RainBox is designed to continuously act through the irrigation system, helping break down biofilms and inhibit biological buildup while addressing salt and metal precipitate formation.
And once the treated water reaches the soil, its enriched characteristics are designed to support an aerobic soil environment and healthy soil life.
Why Superintendents Are Paying Attention
RainBox's golf-course applications include potential benefits such as:
- Improved infiltration & water distribution
- Reduced biofilm and irrigation-system buildup
- Improved soil aeration
- Greater water-holding capacity
- Improved drought resistance
- Healthier root-zone conditions
- Potentially reduced irrigation requirements
- Improved turf resilience and playability
The response will vary from course to course based on soil, climate, irrigation practices and water quality. Agriwater notes that results are typically greater where irrigation-water quality is lower.
That is why the research—and the superintendent experience—matter.
Not All Water Is Equal
H2O may be constant.
Everything else in the water isn't.
RainBox is designed to help golf courses optimize the water they already depend upon—helping superintendents make every drop work harder.
The conversation has started at Michigan State.
Now it's moving to the golf course.
RAINBOX
MAKING EVERY DROP COUNT!
Learn more at agriwater.earth.