Achieving Higher Yields While Saving on Water and Fertiliser Use: Possible?

Article by: Hari Yellina

Around the world, farmers are facing a number of difficulties, such as drought, rising input costs, and attempting to boost agricultural productivity and quality. According to Paul Goldberg, CEO of Carbon Neutral Ag Sciences, “they aim to bring a high-quality product to customers who make budget-driven selections in the grocery store” in an economical manner. His business sells BountiGel®, a next-generation soil supplement designed specifically for agriculture that enables growers to boost yields while using less water and fertiliser.

According to Goldberg, “water and fertiliser are the two most important inputs for yield, and they happen to be the two that are most affected by today’s supply chain concerns and global warming issues.” Plants survive better, grow bigger, and produce more when water and nutrients are retained in the root zone and prevented from migrating downward. In a word, such is the action of BountiGel, and testing have repeatedly produced favourable outcomes, even when using less fertiliser and irrigation.

How does BountiGel function? The product repeatedly collects water up to 250 times its weight and delivers it to the root system as needed, limiting the movement of nutrients, fertiliser, and water. “Unlike conventional hydrogels, it can continue to function effectively for up to three years before safely degrading, thanks to its mechanical robustness. Additionally, it doesn’t include polyacrylamide, said Goldberg. The product, he continued, can also lessen transplant stress and increase plant survival rates. The substance, which is applied using customary machinery, is available in granular, powdered (for slurry applications), and mineral-coated forms. State University of Fresno, University of California Davis, and unaffiliated pilot projects have all examined it.

Approximately eight years ago, a venture-backed company introduced BountiGel. They concentrated on trials and proving the product’s efficacy rather than dealing with the fundamentals of getting it to market. Carbon Neutral Ag Sciences has just acquired BountiGel and has been able to address manufacturing, distribution, and storage difficulties. As a result, it is now collaborating with growers all over the world. The product is currently being used in the United States, Mexico, India, New Zealand, Chile, South Africa, and most recently the Middle East was added.