Does turbulent-flow conditioning of irrigation water influence soil chemical processes: I. Laboratory results

Variable effects of irrigation water on soil chemistry, groundwater quality, and crop productivity are primarily attributed to the quantity, rate, or chemical composition of the applied water. Implicit in these explanations is the assumption that the intrinsic behavior of molecular water is invariable, yet accumulating evidence suggests that water behavior can be modified via non-chemical means, such as when water flows through a magnetic field. This foundational study hypothesized that turbulent-flow conditioning (CTap) of a mineralized irrigation water source (Tap water) may alter water behavior and the character of soil-water interactions. Here we provide central evidence demonstrating that CTap irrigation water changes the chemical composition of soil leachate; consistently increasing mean concentrations of K, NH4-N, Mg, and Ca by 1.2- to 1.4-fold compared to untreated Tap water. The effect develops after incubated soil is irrigated for a period of 4- to 8-weeks, suggesting that the treatment impacts on soil properties may accumulate over time, potentially influencing soil productivity and management. The treatment’s capacity to increase soil cation leaching may provide an economical means of managing or remediating degraded and marginally productive soils that contain excess salts. Because water is an integral component of earth’s ecosystems, we anticipate that the phenomenon discovered here may also be implicated in a broad spectrum of abiotic and biotic chemical processes