California Wildfires And Food Security

09-17-20

CO2GRO

As wildfires ravage through the State of California, we at CO2 GRO offer our deepest sympathies to those who have been greatly affected. 

According to this article by Growing Produce, “On the whole, the fires have not invaded growing fields. However, several growing areas lie close to the fires.” Hopefully, the fires can be controlled and farms spared.

However, the smoke from these fires are wreaking havoc to nearby farms, especially outdoor farms. The article lists the following negative impacts from poor quality, smoke-filled air:

• With less sunlight reaching crops, crops develop more slowly.

• Less sunlight can lead to higher disease loads. Obviously, when ash coats the leaves and fruit, crops have even less access to light.

• Protecting workers delays harvest, leading to destroying overly ripe crops.

• Some crops absorb enough smoke to change the flavor. During the 2018 fire season, several vineyards were unable to sell their grapes.

Protected Cultivation

While most outdoor growers will experience the negative impacts of smoke, protected cultivation facilities such as greenhouses have the ability to cope. LED lighting, frequent air exchange, protected structures and more environmental control enable greenhouses to provide their plants a more consistent environment for growth, despite the conditions outside. Protected structures also offer a safer environment for workers.

CO2 Gas Supply

CO2 gas supply shortages in California as a result of COVID-19 and now with fires causing several disruptions in the supply chain have hampered sealed greenhouses and indoor cultivation facilities. Supply has significantly slowed and prices have risen. Several cultivation facilities have temporarily stopped using CO2 gas for growing, thus hampering crop yields by up to 30%.

CO2 Delivery Solutions™

CO2 Delivery Solutions™ offers greenhouse and indoor growers the opportunity to supplement their plants with CO2 while using over 90% less gas versus traditional atmospheric enrichment. In difficult times like this being experienced in California, ensuring our food supply with the highest yields possible is paramount. Greenhouses and indoor cultivation facilities with optimal yield enhancing technologies that require minimal resources, such as CO2 Delivery Solutions™, provide food supply security to consumers while protecting growers’ people and profits.

CO2 Delivery Solutions™ also provides a method for sequestering CO2 gas by providing it as an input for plants to grow. Nearly all the CO2 provided to the plants through CO2 Delivery Solutions™ aqueous CO2 mist is sequestered by the plant. Unlike CO2 gassing in which approximately half the CO2 gas that is pumped into the grow room leaks back into the atmosphere. 

For more information on CO2 Delivery Solutions™, watch this video and explore our website.