World Water Day and the need to pay attention to our water footprint

 

Next Sunday, March 22, marks World Water Day, as it does every year. This observance was proposed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1992 with the aim of raising awareness among countries and the global population of the need to promote the conservation and responsible use of all the water resources available to us, as they are essential for our future as a society.

In this regard, making every effort within our reach to develop a much more responsible and efficient model of water consumption is a universal challenge that must be addressed across all fields and sectors, including, of course, the agri-food industry.

A clear example of the growing awareness of the need to reduce our water footprint can be found in agriculture and among companies dedicated to the research, development and marketing of products designed to ensure the plant health of agricultural crops. AFEPASA, for example, has been working for several years on developing more water-efficient plant protection alternatives —with special formulations for dust application, i.e. without water— as well as more efficient biostimulants, without compromising their effectiveness in any way.

Thus, with its range of biostimulants developed using its exclusive SULTECH® technology, farmers can strengthen crops to help them cope with potential stress episodes, such as water shortages, while also enabling plants to recover much more quickly after such events. In addition, these products considerably improve the organoleptic properties of crops, increase photosynthetic activity and enhance drought tolerance. SULTECH® technology involves the manipulation of elemental sulphur obtained through thiobacteria in its three physical states. Through innovative processes, the physical properties of sulphur are modified in terms of its electrostatic, hydrophilic and dimensional characteristics, resulting in exclusive formulations.

Among the wide range of products offered by AFEPASA, Triumphalis stands out. This biostimulant contains selected amino acids enriched with organic matter derived from plant extracts and SULTECH® technology. It acts as an activator of plant defence pathways, a nutrient-unlocking agent in the soil and a catalyst for nitrogen absorption, promoting plant growth and helping crops combat abiotic and water stress.

Likewise, considering that the theme chosen for World Water Day 2020 is ‘Water and Climate Change’, it is also worth highlighting products such as the Soldefend fertiliser or the Micronized Sulphur P300/80 Special Solar Filter Effectplant protection product, which help protect crops against the effects of global warming, such as increased solar radiation and high temperatures.

Ultimately, it is in our hands to take every measure available to us to make much more responsible, efficient and sustainable use of the water resources around us, thereby ensuring that this vital resource remains available in our environment, in optimal conditions, for future use when it is truly needed.