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

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.