Sustainable agriculture for water-stressed regions by air-water-energy management

Abstract For considerate use of limited freshwater resources in arid regions, it is very important to recycle the evapotranspiration water in greenhouse production for sustainable agriculture. In addition, in a typical greenhouse, ideal conditions for plants are set at low temperature, which is provided by evaporative cooling systems and ventilation, and this leads to more water waste. In this study, a water harvesting system was devised in the ventilation air path and our simulation for hot months showed that in a large-scale greenhouse, daily 9.5 tons of water is directed out of the greenhouse and 3.3 tons of them can be returned to the system by this device. A case study in a semi-arid area (Isfahan, Iran) showed that this system can provide 50% of water demand in summer. Such a system may provide feasible solutions for low growth yields in water-stressed regions and agriculture-dependent economies.