Indoor Ag-Con 2023 Exhibitor HP Now (Booth 204) shares: Growers care for their crops by providing them with all they need: light, nutrients, water, and the right growing conditions. Ironically, the system they are using to provide plants with water and nutrients may also double as a vehicle for unwanted guests in the form of pathogens such as Pythium, Phytophthora, and other fungi and bacteria which can damage crops and raise food safety concerns.
This host of organisms is usually present in irrigation water in small amounts, but tends to proliferate in the water system in the form of biofilm. Biofilm is not only a hotbed for pathogen infestation, but it also has a strong negative impact on irrigation uniformity as it blocks emitters.
Regulation under Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
The system produces hydrogen peroxide using only air, water, and electricity. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized the system as a pesticidal device under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Based on this determination, HPNowwill now be expanding its activity in the United States and will be offering HPGen™ for the following uses:
Irrigation water treatment – for the mitigation of bio-foul and bio-film from irrigation lines, and plant protection
Postharvest treatment for fruits of vegetables, for post-harvest crop protection, and extension of shelf life
Livestock drinking water – for reduction of water-borne pathogens and improved animal health
Process water treatment – for mitigation of bio-foul, biofilm and pathogens in industrial process and cooling water lines
No input chemicals needed
FIFRA defines a device as “any instrument or contrivance . . . intended for trapping, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest or any other form of plant or animal life (other than man and other than bacteria, virus, or other microorganism on or in living man or other living animals).” EPA believes that HPGen™ is a device because it is intended for pesticidal purposes and relies on a physical process—electrolysis, oxygen and water in situ—to generate hydrogen peroxide (and does not require or use any chemical substance) to produce its pesticidal effect.
Case studies
Please refer to the case studies on our website to check out some examples of these applications, including a recent installation at a melon packing house, as well as improvements in livestock drinking water and industrial water treatment processes.
About HPNow
HPNow addresses growing global challenges in clean water and sanitation through its range of on-site, autonomous, safe and sustainable hydrogen peroxide generation solutions. Headquartered in Copenhagen, and with representation across Europe, the Americas and Asia, they address their clients’ water treatment needs in market segments ranging from agriculture and aquaculture, to industrial and drinking water treatment. HPNow is a technology and market leader in on-site generation of hydrogen peroxide, and is continuously striving to further advance its technology and products in order to meet growing market needs and rising global demand.
