A DISCUSSION about how to make farming and water management more sustainable took centre stage at a free lecture in Cirencester.
The talk, held at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) on Wednesday, November 12, focused on innovative water management systems to help farmers deal with climate change.
The lecture was delivered by Professor Kiran Tota-Maharaj, the RAU's professor of water resources management and infrastructure, and Andy Blackhall, managing director of the Water Research Centre (WRc).
They introduced the concept of Microbial Electrosynthesis (MES), a new technology that has the potential to change how wastewater and resource shortages are handled.
The MES system uses specialised microbes and electricity to break down wastewater and convert pollutants into valuable products, such as clean water, nutrients, and even renewable fuels.
The speakers said that this technology could help solve three global challenges simultaneously -- cleaning and recycling wastewater, using and storing renewable electricity efficiently, and returning nutrients to farming systems.
Professor Tota-Maharaj said: "The partnership between the RAU and WRc is helping to make agriculture, farming and water systems more environmentally sustainable and better equipped to face climate change.
"Our research is focused on addressing major challenges that connect water, energy and food, none of which can be managed properly in isolation, and a key part of this work is using nature-based solutions to treat wastewater so that clean water and nutrients can be recovered and reused for farming."
The lecture also covered how the sustainable recycling of wastewater could create more circular systems where water and nutrients return to the farm, instead of being wasted.
The speakers said this practice not only improves soil health and boosts crop growth but also significantly reduces the pressure on natural water supplies.
The lecture, titled Water, Wastewater, Everywhere - Every drop counts!, was the final instalment of a series of free lectures held to celebrate the 180th anniversary of the RAU.
It took place in the university's Boutflour Hall at its Cirencester campus.
Professor Tota-Maharaj added: "By combining our scientific research here at the RAU with WRc's practical experience, we are developing and testing innovative real-world solutions that are resilient to climate pressures."