What is deionised water?

Deionised (DI) water is water that has had dissolved ions removed. These ions, which carry an electrical charge, are commonly found in most water sources in the form of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium. The purity of DI water is typically measured by its conductivity, with lower conductivity indicating fewer dissolved ions.

Why do I need to use deionised water?

When pollen is added to a solution of water and PollenAid®, the pollen grains begin to rehydrate. If the water contains ions, they can puncture the pollen membrane, rendering it non-viable. Using deionised water ensures optimal pollen viability and effectiveness.

Research by Dr Murray Hopping from 1982 shows the detrimental impact cations and anions have on pollen when they are present in the germination solution.

TABLE 5 -   Percentage pollen germination and pollen tube length of kiwifruit pollen after treatment with germination media made from:

glass-distilled water from Auckland  city ;    and water before and  after treatment with  ion  ex-change resins.

 

Water source for germination media	pH of media	Pollen germination (%)	Pollen tube length (mU)
Glass-distilled  ( Pure)	6.0	54.7	297
Auckland city   (Tap)	7.0	3.4	74
Auckland city, no anions   deionised negative only	6.0	37.0	235
Auckland city, no cations – deionised positive only	6.4	42.7	261
Auckland city, no anions no catIons – deionised fully both anions and cations.	6.1	49.3	323

From:  N.Z. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, VOL. 25,1982

How do I get deionised water?

Kiwi Pollen offers a range of deionising equipment to suit the needs of all growers, from small orchard owners to large orchard management and contracting companies. Our deionising systems work by passing source water through a mixed-bed resin that removes both positively and negatively charged ions. When the resin becomes exhausted, simply replace it with fresh resin and dispose of the old resin properly.

How do I know when to change the resin?

The effectiveness of deionisation is measured using a conductivity meter. For pollen applications, water should ideally have a conductivity reading of 0μS, but anything below 1μS is generally acceptable. When the conductivity level rises above 1μS, it is time to replace the resin.

Click here for more details, and explore our Deionising Tank options and Conductivity Meter options.