‘Modern-day miracle’

A new bit of Irish technology is being touted by some as a “modern-day miracle” for its ability to potentially change the face of modern agriculture.

Radio-wave-energized water produced by the “compact, biscuit-tin-sized” Vi-Aqua device “massively increases the output of vegetables and fruits by up to 30 percent,” according to the Irish Independent newspaper. The technology, developed by Austin Darragh and J.J. Leahy of the University of Limerick’s department of chemistry and environmental science, is inexpensive, “makes GM obsolete and also addresses the whole global warming fear that there is too much carbon dioxide in the air, by simply converting excess CO2 into edible plant mass,” the article said.

The “energized” water “can carry more nutrients to the leaves and stem [of a plant] and percolate better down into the soil to nourish the roots,” Darragh said. Thus, “you need less water and … you end up with larger and hardier crops.”

The device converts electricity into a radio signal, which charges the water via an antenna; it can charge thousands of gallons of water in less than 10 minutes.