“Hydroponics is a very interesting field for us”
Source: VFD.com
"Our company was born 50 years ago, and we specialize in water filtration and water-treatment plants," says Damiano Moro, Technical Director R&D at Atlas Filtri. © Wesley Francis | VerticalFarmDaily.com Damiano Moro and Martina De Marchi A partnership-led approach Atlas Filtri does not intend to focus primarily on direct sales to growers.
Those in irrigation, humidification, and heating are our potential partners." This partnership model reflects the company's wider approach to water treatment. Preparing water for hydroponic production "Hydroponics is a very interesting field for us because water is the base," Damiano says.
"We produce treated water, low-salinity water, where we remove the dissolved ions inside, and people can then add the substances that make the plant grow."Reducing the concentration of dissolved salts gives growers a more controlled starting point for adding fertilizers and preparing a crop-specific nutrient solution. GreenTech 2026 is the company's third exhibition as part of its effort to develop the horticultural market.
Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?
Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.
What is the operator takeaway from this trial?
If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.
