The use of oxygen nanobubbles in irrigation water opens up new opportunities for agriculture, offering significant benefits in terms of both increasing yields and improving the sustainability of farming. This innovative technology not only improves plant health and nutrient uptake, but can also lead to record yields and cost savings.
Scientifically proven to enhance nutrient absorption
The EIP Agri "NABLE" studies [1] have produced interesting and encouraging results for the development of sustainable agriculture. The project reported significant effects on plant growth and nutrient uptake when oxygen nanobubbles were added to irrigation water. As the oxygen nanobubbles contribute to a more efficient nutrient uptake by the plants, the practical benefit is that fertiliser application can be adjusted to a lower dosage, resulting in both economic and ecological savings and a more ecological approach to farming. To learn more about the ground-breaking results of the project, watch and listen to the video. Watch the video on YouTube in Finnish and English.
The effectiveness of oxygen nanobubbles is not only proven in test environments, but also demonstrated in practice. In February, Puutarhasanomat, among others, reported on Johan Prinsén's record cucumber harvest of 244 kg/m2 [2], just a few months after the introduction of the Nanoboost® oxygen nanobubble system developed by EOD Oy. The oxygen generator was the biggest change in greenhouse operation before the record yield. According to a representative of Schetelig, which resells the equipment, it looks as if the record just set will be broken this season.
The future also opens up for open field farming
The use of oxygen nanobubble technology is in its infancy, and this summer EOD Oy will expand its research into open field crops through the EIT Test Farm programme. The yield losses and plant health issues caused by compacting soil and root diseases can be greatly alleviated by oxygen bubbles.
A report published in January shows how research in Chile found that oxygen nanobubbles added to irrigation water helped turfgrass to remain healthy even when irrigation rates were reduced by 50% [3]. Without oxygen nanobubbles, halving irrigation rates caused grass to dry out and turn brown. Although the study was carried out in hot Chile, it shows how effective oxygen nanobubbles are in helping plants stay healthy under stressful conditions and with fewer resources.
Oxygen nanobubbles - a farming solution for the future
Nanoboost®'s oxygen nanobubble technology offers an efficient and ecological way to improve yields, optimise fertiliser and irrigation water use, and increase crop sustainability. Thanks to these features, the technology is expected to gain significant traction in the coming years, as part of the green transition and agricultural development.
Further information:
Henna Niskakoski, henna.niskakoski@samk.fi
[1] NABLE - Improving the efficiency of agricultural production with nanobubbles - Research Centre WANDER
[2] Record cucumber yield of 244 kg per square metre, Puutarha Sanomat, issue 2/2025, https://puutarha-sanomat.fi/arkistot/33608/
[3] Irrigation water treated with oxygen nanobubbles decreases irrigation volume while maintaining turfgrass quality in central chile, J.D. Calvo et al., 2025, https://www.mdpi.com/2813-3463/4/1/6