Delivering Smart Irrigation Solutions

“We Seek Out what is New and Different“ While listening to feedback from its clients, Metzer uses its knowledge, insights and creativity, in order to provide new, high-quality products, among them ROOTGUARD® and Anti-Bacterial Technologies. An Interview with Dov Avital , Business Innovation Manager at Metzer Why has Metzer chosen to focus on innovation? Dov: “It is important for Metzer to preserve the connection between our kibbutz community and factory, and to retain our culture of information-sharing. As such, growing in size to compete with large multinational companies, or lowering our prices to compete with companies based on cheaper labor countries, were options that did not match our vision for Metzer. In addition, for both Metzer and agriculture itself to progress, it is important to look forward. We don’t need ‘more of the same’. With these considerations in mind, we decided that the approach best suited to our factory was a focus on innovative solutions”. How do you go about developing new products? What do you look for? “Our primary focus is the farmers”, Dov continues. “The farmers take more risks and are often less rewarded than any other link in the agricultural production chain. Our aim is to help the farmers grow crops, yield more for their work, reduce costs, and increase profits. When developing products, we listen to feedback from our clients, look to where we can make a difference, try to predict future business opportunities, and seek out what is new and different. Then, using our knowledge, insight and creativity, and taking into consideration differing world markets, we improve our existing products and develop new, high-quality products”. ROOTGUARD® and anti-bacterial technologies ROOTGUARD® and anti-bacterial technologies solve the problem of drippers' blockages either by root intrusion or by bacterial film growth when using recycled water. This innovative solution came, again, from problems from the fields. Metzer is at the forefront of using sub-surface irrigation and anti-bacterial technologies. What issues were you looking to fix with these products? “Metzer’s subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) has many agronomic advantages, including water and fertilizer conservation, and savings in operating costs. Another benefit of SDI is that it allows us to use wastewater and effluent water by eliminating smells or contact between these waters, which contain a high concentration of bacteria, and the people and the plants themselves. “There were two issues with SDI. The first was root intrusion. Roots were entering the dripper holes and blocking them. Also, where water with a high concentration of bacteria and organic matter was used - such as wastewater or polluted river water - the bacteria and organic matter were colonizing the drippers and blocking them as well. The second issue was that there was no way of tracking the state of the SDI hoses, which worried our farmers”. How are Metzer’s ROOTGUARD® and anti-bacterial technologies fixing issues with SDI? Dov Avital, Business Innovation Manager at Metzer Metzer’s Innovation