Precision Laboratories to water conservation and resource management

Precision Laboratories, a company that produces specialized chemistries to enhance plants, seeds, soil and water, has established an ongoing initiative to support growers and turf managers in water conservation and resource management.

"Positioning ourselves as leaders in water management goes much further than making a blanket statement," said Rick Wohlner, president of Precision Laboratories. "We work closely with our agriculture and turf customers, determining the best path to market with products that reduce water usage and increase the performance of other products." We are in the business of feeding the world and creating the best playing surfaces – our choice is to do this while managing water inputs as extensively as possible."

Water and food security has already started to have a global impact. The agriculture and turf industries use about 82 percent of the fresh water in the United States, making water management an even more important topic than it is today.

Since the mid-1990s, Precision Laboratories has led the turf industry with their line of soil surfactants, which help turf managers reduce water consumption and enhance efficient irrigation. The company recently sponsored education sessions at the 2013 Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) Conference held in San Diego, addressing best practices in water management and sustainability, among other topics.

"Water use has a direct correlation to turf management and agricultural food production," said Wohlner. "It's critical to produce chemistries that allow these industries to incorporate best practices when using water as a resource and all while supporting the growing population that is currently straining water, food and energy resources."

According to a recent "Outlook 2013" issue of Merrill Lynch Advisor, the global population is on pace to exceed 8 billion by 2030, most of which will come from a growing, emerging-market middle class. The article states that while reducing poverty is an undeniable good, consumption levels are virtually certain to rise along with income levels, which will place unprecedented strain on the planet's resources.

The Merrill Lynch Advisor article also estimates the potential future demand for water. Higher income households often eat more meat, and as protein-heavy diets become more prevalent, demand for food and water will increase. It takes 15,000 liters of water to produce a kilogram of beef and 1,500 liters to produce a kilogram of grain. The article states that if current trends continue, within 30 years water demand will exceed water supply by 40 percent.

"Whether it's saving water, getting the most from fertilizer and plant protection applications, or saving labor, we design products that allow our customers to obtain the best crop and turf using the least amounts of inputs necessary," added Wohlner.

Information on Precision Laboratories' specialized chemistries is online at www.precisionlab.com.