---
title: "Irrigation: problems we treat | Alchemal"
url: "https://alchemal.com/irrigation/problems/"
description: "The problems we treat in irrigation reservoirs and greenhouse loops, what is actually happening in the water, and what usually fixes it."
source: "Alchemal — alchemal.com"
---
# What goes wrong in irrigation reservoirs and greenhouse loops

Each page explains what is actually happening in the water, what usually fixes it, and when oxygenation is not the right tool.

7 problems

- [Root rot in recirculating systems: the oxygen behind it Roots browning and going slick in a recirculating crop. The root zone has run short of oxygen, and the water molds behind root rot have moved in. See how a held reserve closes their opening.](https://alchemal.com/problems/root-rot-recirculating-systems/)
- [Flat, low-oxygen irrigation water: the hidden cost Water that sits warm and still in the reservoir arrives at the crop already short of oxygen. See what that costs the root zone downstream, and how a held reserve travels down the line.](https://alchemal.com/problems/flat-irrigation-reservoir-oxygen/)
- [Slow growth on recycled irrigation water: the oxygen limit Feed and light are right, and the crop still crawls on recycled water. Oxygen drawn down each pass is usually the limit on uptake. See how a held root zone lets the roots use what they are given.](https://alchemal.com/problems/slow-growth-recirculated-irrigation/)
- [Poor germination and weak transplants: the oxygen behind them Emergence that comes in scattered and transplants slow to take. A young root respires hard and needs oxygen to do it. See how oxygenated propagation water supports an even start.](https://alchemal.com/problems/poor-germination-transplant-establishment/)
- [Nutrient solution going anaerobic in closed-loop CEA A recirculating nutrient solution that smells sour and grows a black film has run out of oxygen and turned anaerobic. See how oxygen held through the loop keeps the root zone from souring.](https://alchemal.com/problems/anaerobic-nutrient-solution-cea/)
- [Biofilm and clogged drip emitters: the water behind it Drippers blocking and lines slicking over. Much of what fouls emitters is seeded upstream, in a flat, nutrient-rich reservoir. See how oxygen at the source slows the fouling, with filtration doing the clearing.](https://alchemal.com/problems/biofilm-clogged-drip-emitters/)
- [Algae in an irrigation reservoir: the conditions behind it A reservoir that greens up every summer and loads the lines downstream. Algae takes over where the water goes flat and nutrient-rich. See how restoring oxygen shifts the balance back.](https://alchemal.com/problems/algae-irrigation-reservoirs/)

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