What if Central Valley Farmers could sequester carbon in their soil by only changing how they treat their irrigation water? That is the question driving a new $500,000 study at Fresno State. If 400,000 acres — 10% of the irrigated acres in California — adopted this practice, over 30 million tons of CO2 could be stored in soil through the water every year, as estimated by the research study’s hypothesis. Currently, less than 1% of the acreage in California is using it.
“Soil health is what brought me to California, and this study is exactly the kind of work I came here to do. A simple change to water treatment could have a meaningful impact on soil health and carbon sequestration, and this research will help us understand that potential,” said Dr. Sangeeta Bansal, assistant professor of plant science at Fresno State and the principal investigator.
The study is the largest and longest farm-scale investigation of CO2 in water treatment ever conducted, spanning three years on six working pistachio farms in California’s Central Valley. The California Energy Commission provided primary funding, with support from F3 Innovate.
ECO2MIX, a Fresno-based agriculture company, is providing the water treatment for the study. Their equipment dissolves CO2 into irrigation water to produce carbonic acid, primarily to adjust water pH.
“I started ECO2MIX because I saw the damage sulfuric acid was causing to farms and people, and I knew there had to be a better solution, and carbonic acid was exactly that. This study will finally help us understand the additional benefits after water treatment. If this can sequester carbon across the Central Valley through the water, that is a big deal for California sustainability,” said Waldo Moraga, CEO and President of ECO2MIX.
High-pH irrigation water is common throughout the Central Valley and affects the health of soil and plants. Correcting water pH addresses many problems simultaneously. Carbonic acid also offers a safety advantage over current practices. Other acids are corrosive to equipment and require specialized handling and safety. On the other hand, carbonic acid, the same compound that gives sparkling water its bubbles, is safe to handle.
“We are always evaluating what tools are available to us as farmers and what they can do for our operation. If the water we are already using can do more for the soil and increase profitability, we want to know about it,” said Joe Coelho, a farmer participating in the research and the Director of Sustainability and Member Outreach for American Pistachio Growers.
About ECO2MIX
ECO2MIX provides water pH control as a service by dissolving CO2 in water. The company designs, installs, and operates on-site reactors that treat irrigation water, which supports nutrient availability and efficient irrigation with additional soil health and sustainability benefits. ECO2MIX serves production agriculture and golf customers across high-pH water regions of the United States. For more information, visit www.eco2mix.com. For interviews or farm visits, contact Waldo Moraga at cherbert@eco2mix.com or call 559-321-7917.
