Plant nursery use dripping / irrigation lines or hydroponic systems to provide the plants with sufficient water . However , inconspicuous from the outside , a biofilm may progress op on the inner liner of these water systems . Such biofilm may significantly reduce the water flow or even physically clog entire drippers , and may allow an idealistic hiding home for industrial plant pathogens .

by Gerwen Lammers PhD , Tom van Oorsouw BSc , Jan - Christian Schönberg , Carly Vulders BSc

The build - up of a biofilm typically depart with the fastening of a single microorganism cell in suspension onto a control surface , for object lesson the inner surface of a water line of products . This microorganism starts to multiply and release extracellular matrix components to establish a protective environment . So the biofilm inside a origin is not just a slimy layer , but actually a well - structure and highly machinate microbic residential area . This process is accelerated by the relatively high temperatures and organic soiling typically present in irrigation water , and further stimulate by relatively miserable menses volume at starting signal of culture .

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Intra Hydro virtuous effectively removes biofilmYears of worldwide experience in the horticulture industry have demonstrated that traditional disinfectants like atomic number 17 may disinfect the urine itself , but do not remove the biofilm and/or spring harmful residues . Intra Hydro pure is a silver - stabilized hydrogen peroxide result that both disinfect the piss , but also physically removes the biofilm from the internal lining . Due to its unparalleled stability , Intra Hydro complete continue fighting from the outset of the water line until the last dripper . The addition of 40 ppm ( 40 ml Intra Hydro pure per 1,000 liter of water system ) assure that the water will stay detached of microorganism and no biofilm will build up in the urine system . The functionality of Intra Hydro vestal has proven itself around the orb in the most varying hardheaded precondition , the study identify in this article clearly visualizes its functionality under data-based test conditions .

Biofilm author to study biofilm formation and removalIntracare has develop a biofilm generator as a model to take the natural outgrowth and subsequent removal of biofilm with Intra Hydro perfect in an data-based bent - up . Plastic thermionic vacuum tube representing the imbibing water lines were sate with Fusarium contaminate piss to mime the spread of a example glasshouse pathogen . Watering behavior was mimicked by a daily flow / no - flow schedule .

urine calibre was determined by evaluate the amount of adenosine triphosphate ( ATP ) as a mark for micro - organisms using the Intra Clean Quick Scan in Relative Light Units ( RLU ) . obliterable pliant inserts were positioned inside the tubing to assess the number of bacteria and fungi in the biofilm . When the growing biofilm was clearly seeable by eye and water ATP measurements started to stabilize , the continuous addition of 40 ppm Intra Hydro pure was started to enquire its effect on the biofilm .

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seeable growth of biofilm and its fast removal with Intra Hydro pureFrom the commencement of the experimentation , a gradual formation of a biofilm was noticed by centre , resulting in a clearly visible greasy layer in the inner liner of the tubing and insert ( Figure 1 ) . This visible biofilm completely disappeared from all surfaces after the continuous accession of Intra Hydro consummate was started .

Figure 1 . Visual appearance from the outside of the tube ( top row ) , inside the urine system ( middle words ) and on the inserts ( bottom course ) before ( left ) and after ( right ) the continuous addition of Intra Hydro complete to the water .

During the biofilm rise period , the body of water ATP counting rapidly increased up to 1,662 RLU , indicating badly polluted piss ( Figure 2 ) . After the uninterrupted increase of Intra Hydro pure , the RLU count chop-chop decrease within a curt timeframe and remained low , as the measurement in week 19 show with an RLU note value of 66 .

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Figure 2 . water supply pollution before ( red ) and after ( dingy ) the continuous add-on of 40 ppm Intra Hydro vestal .

The ATP measurements are in communication channel with the total aerobic ( bacteria + fungi ) counts from the water and the insert ( chassis 3 ) . Both counts chop-chop increase within weeks to an 18 million - fold ( 1.8 x 107 ) and 1.5 million - fold ( 1.5 x 106 ) increase , respectively . The subsequent uninterrupted addition of Intra Hydro pure quickly resulted in log 7 and lumber 6 reduction , demonstrate the truehearted and effective removal of microbiological contaminant from the aerofoil of the inserts and inner liner of the tubes .

build 3 . full aerobic numeration of bacteria and fungi in the weewee ( top graphical record ) and biofilm ( bottom graphical record ) before ( reddish ) and after ( low-spirited ) the continuous addition of Intra Hydro pure . Please note the logarithmic scale .

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The total aerophilic numeration represents the heart and soul of bacterium , fungi and yeasts . Many botanic diseases are actually due to kingdom Fungi like Fusarium spp , Pytium spp , and Botrytis spp . Therefore , the front and elimination of fungi in the water and biofilm was to boot visualise on fungal acculturation growth plate before and after treatment with Intra Hydro double-dyed ( pattern 4 ) . The presence and elimination of plant pathogenic Fusarium spp . was confirm using microbiotechnological technique .

Figure 4 . representative of fungal finish plates from sampled weewee ( top ) and biofilm ( bottom ) before ( leave ) and after ( correct ) treatment with Intra Hydro thoroughgoing . Fungal growth including fusarium spp . was observe before treatment , which was take after treatment with Intra Hydro consummate .

Practical use of Intra Hydro pure in greenhousesThe biofilm generator enable us to visualize the rapid increment of a biofilm inside an irrigation pee organisation and clearly shew the firm and effective removal of this biofilm with the continuous addition of 40 ppm Intra Hydro pure . This set - up created a worst - type situation by the designed accession of contaminated pee stop a mixture of pathogens , permit the growth and development of a phytohazardous biofilm . However , in practice it is common use to clean and disinfect the entire water system at craw change with 1 - 3 % Intra Hydro pure and start with 40 ppm Intra Hydro virtuous from the beginning of , thereby not furnish the biofilm any hazard to get its constitution .

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For more information : Intracarewww.intrahorti.com

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