Ozone for blueberry cultivation

In closed-loop nutrient water systems for blueberry substrate culture and hydroponics, the recovered nutrient solution retains root exudates, algae, and pathogenic fungi such as Pythium and Phytophthora. Prolonged recirculation readily leads to root rot, plant chlorosis, yield reduction, and other problems.

Nano-bubble ozone disinfection leaves no chemical residues, aligning with blueberry green-cultivation standards and the acidic nutrient-water conditions required for blueberry growth. It is a superior recirculation disinfection process for large-scale production.

Core principle: Upon dissolving in water, ozone generates strongly oxidizing hydroxyl radicals that efficiently disrupt microbial cell membranes and nucleic acid structures, killing a broad spectrum of pathogenic microorganisms and inhibiting algae proliferation. It also oxidizes and decomposes organic root exudates, strips away pipeline biofilms, and prevents pipe blockages. Ozone ultimately decomposes into oxygen, raising the dissolved oxygen (DO) level of the nutrient solution and alleviating root hypoxia in blueberries.

The core equipment is the G3 Series Nano-Bubble Ozone System. It features a water-cooled, high-purity quartz corona discharge tube that draws oxygen (90%–93% purity) from a built-in PSA oxygen-generation module as feed gas to produce high-concentration ozone. The ozone gas then passes through a specially designed gas-dissolution unit to form nano-scale ozone bubbles.

The full process comprises four stages under fully automated closed-loop control:

1. Pre-treatment Filtration — Recovered nutrient solution first passes through coarse and precision filters to remove residual roots, substrate particles, and colloidal impurities, reducing ineffective ozone demand and safeguarding disinfection efficiency.
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3. Ozone Disinfection — Oxygen-source ozone generation is used to avoid the salt damage associated with air-source units. Micro-nano bubbles ensure thorough gas–liquid mixing, maintaining water ORP at 650–750 mV and dissolved ozone at 0.3–0.8 mg/L, achieving an inactivation rate of over 99.9% for pathogenic microorganisms.
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5. Buffering & Residual Degradation — Disinfected solution enters a buffer tank and rests for 20–40 minutes to fully decompose residual ozone, eliminating any risk of root burn. Off-gas is treated to a harmless level before discharge.
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7. Conditioning & Reuse — EC, pH, and trace-element levels of the disinfected solution are tested; depleted nutrients are replenished and the solution is adjusted to the optimal growth parameters for blueberries before being recirculated.
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Combining sterilization, water purification, and oxygen enrichment in one step, this process effectively resolves the accumulation of waterborne diseases in recirculating nutrient systems and supports high-quality, high-efficiency, large-scale blueberry cultivation.