DesertPlantations grows fruit in coastal deserts using desalinated water for irrigation
StartupRealities No 6
DesertPlantations Limited is an international startup investing in desert land in coastal areas in northern Chile, Namibia and Western Australia and converting the acquired coastal land into fruit and nut plantations and vineyards. The coastal farms are irrigated with desalinated ocean water using inexpensive technology developed by MIT, which does not require any additional energy input for desalination. Rafts of these passive solar-powered desalination systems are floated on the surface of the sea near the shore. The solar rafts produce 6 litres of freshwater per square metre per day. Underwater pipes installed on the seabed connect the rafts and drain the distilled freshwater into storage tanks on land. Drip irrigation systems on the farms are turned on only during the night to minimise water loss.
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AGRICULTURE
The output of the desert farms peaks in December-March during the southern hemisphere summer (northern hemisphere winter). The farms supply organic supermarkets in the northern hemisphere with high-value exotic fruit and nuts. Low-lying flat land near the shore is used for growing soft fruit, while hills are terraced and turned into tree plantations and sometimes into vineyards. Hillside farms primarily grow durian fruit and macadamia nuts: both types of trees start producing a crop 4 years after planting. In desert areas far from any population centres the plantations produce primarily nuts, which are less labour intensive and easier to transport. No dogs are allowed on macadamia farms as the nuts are toxic to dogs.
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AQUACULTURE
The rafts of solar desalination systems are used for growing mussels on lines of rope (longline culture) suspended from the raft into the sea.
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MARKETING
DesertPlantations has registered several brands for its wines:
#AtacamaDesertWines
#KalahariDesertWines
#AustralianDesertWines
Nuts:
#AtacamaMacadama
#KalahariMacadama
#OzMacadama
Fruit:
#AtacamaDurian
#KalahariDurian
#OzDurian
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DESALINATION TECHNOLOGY
Further details on the MIT desalination technology can be found here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200207124456.htm
DesertPlantations Limited is an international startup investing in desert land in coastal areas in northern Chile, Namibia and Western Australia and converting the acquired coastal land into fruit and nut plantations and vineyards. The coastal farms are irrigated with desalinated ocean water using inexpensive technology developed by MIT, which does not require any additional energy input for desalination. Rafts of these passive solar-powered desalination systems are floated on the surface of the sea near the shore. The solar rafts produce 6 litres of freshwater per square metre per day. Underwater pipes installed on the seabed connect the rafts and drain the distilled freshwater into storage tanks on land. Drip irrigation systems on the farms are turned on only during the night to minimise water loss.
---
AGRICULTURE
The output of the desert farms peaks in December-March during the southern hemisphere summer (northern hemisphere winter). The farms supply organic supermarkets in the northern hemisphere with high-value exotic fruit and nuts. Low-lying flat land near the shore is used for growing soft fruit, while hills are terraced and turned into tree plantations and sometimes into vineyards. Hillside farms primarily grow durian fruit and macadamia nuts: both types of trees start producing a crop 4 years after planting. In desert areas far from any population centres the plantations produce primarily nuts, which are less labour intensive and easier to transport. No dogs are allowed on macadamia farms as the nuts are toxic to dogs.
---
AQUACULTURE
The rafts of solar desalination systems are used for growing mussels on lines of rope (longline culture) suspended from the raft into the sea.
---
MARKETING
DesertPlantations has registered several brands for its wines:
#AtacamaDesertWines
#KalahariDesertWines
#AustralianDesertWines
Nuts:
#AtacamaMacadama
#KalahariMacadama
#OzMacadama
Fruit:
#AtacamaDurian
#KalahariDurian
#OzDurian
---
DESALINATION TECHNOLOGY
Further details on the MIT desalination technology can be found here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200207124456.htm
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| Atacama Desert coastline, North Chile (Source: Wikipedia) |
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