Combination of Technology (polymer formulations), Expertise and Engineering RAINCATCHER technologies provides turnkey solution to face drought in forestry and agriculture. In some case, it’s also combines to other existing technologies to benefit from outstanding synergies.
At the heart of the RAINCATCHER Solution there is a technology aiming at cancelling any water stress for the plant. A particular copolymer of polyacrylate and potassium acrylamide, also called hydrogel, enabling the absorption of significant quantities of water; combined with some chosen growth inputs having for function to fertilize and foster the growth, and hence yield, of the plant.
Hydrogel-based technologies haven’t developed much so far in the agricultural world because the technology required to achieve meaningful results was not available.
With RAINCATCHER®, things have changed. We developed the expertise. We observed many times in several countries how, without the relevant know-how, game-changing results have hardly been reached. Making hydrogel-based products alone an uncertain fertilising water retaining material.
At the core of the expertise are computing soil and plants data to identify correct dose at the correct depth under the correct irrigation.
Our agronomists have carried out researches for several years analysing world scientific data on hydrogels. In parallel, dozens of experiments have been carried out on several types of plants to understand how RAINCATCHER® can be used to suppress water stress and helps the development of a root mass while having no negative impact on the natural growth of the plant.
We finally succeeded in equating the interaction of RAINCATCHER® with our 2 main objectives. The increase in agricultural yield and/or water savings generated by its application.
Therefore, we systematically carry out analyses of the terroir (the combination of a region’s type of soil, crop and climate) to precisely determine its application to achieve the desired effect (saving water VS increasing yield) and grow our knowledge data base.
We have set up a question & answer process to collect all the information from our partners before conducting an analysis. The types of questions range from the nature of the soil to determine its SWC, to the type of crop in order to understand its natural evapotranspiration (ET) and to the climate (geographical position of the place of cultivation) or to the irrigation system if the crop is not in dryland.
In addition, we gather information on economic data such as the price of water, the price of energy to irrigate or the price of labour to precisely determine the overall savings efficiency of RAINCATCHER. ®.
During our analyses, we calculate the water balance of the plant in normal situation and determine the water stress. We are then able to understand the amount of RAINCATCHER® to be used to counter potential water stress.
We generally consider two types of profiles that directly influence our recommendations:
– Cultivation with controlled irrigation
– Cultivation on dryland
When we decide to apply a hydrogel-base technology we do not only aim at making water savings or a yield growth, but we install a solution to a precisely identified problem including many initially studied parameters.
Our technological solution comes in the form of a powder, comparable to sugar, which is a water-retention fertilizer (HS 31059080 / HS 31051000). In our production centres, we synthesize a unique formula, a hydrogel based on potassium combined to nutrient inputs. We use one of the world most absorbent hydrogel molecules and adapt the particle size of our Technology to the types of plants. Percentages of nutrients vary with climates and types of soil and crops. We produce the RC H, the RC BLUE and the RC GREEN which make up the different formulations of our Technology.
We are also capable of defining “bespoke” formulations to cater for specific uses, like the tests we have carried out in hydroponics or for certain tools which require an adaptation of the formulation in relation to their physical application properties.
The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture has been in operation for almost 20 years and is a reference centre for agronomic studies on the Arabian Peninsula.
We therefore initiated an 8-month experiment to verify our theoretical approach on the water savings that RAINCATCHER® can generate for date palms regarding the fact that the average consumption of water of such a tree is around 150 litres per day.
We provide the final report on request for our partners, below is an abstract:
Preliminary results obtained so far, showed that the irrigation water quantity for the trees decreased by almost two-thirds compared to the control group. The trees did not show any signs of dryness or damage.
– By the end of trial Phase 1 (129 days), the total water savings was 12.5 m3 per tree, equivalent to an average of 77% water saving, which was reached 80 % at the end of Phase 1.
We have already started a phase 2 with the I.C.B.A which aims to experiment with the reforestation of desert areas with local plants and to create autonomous ecosystems in the most arid and remote regions.
Our company is the first in the world to have design and developed tools that allow application of Hydrogel-based Technology as RAINCATCHER. This result was made possible thanks to our know-how, since we know the right dose/depth/irrigation we can design with Engineers efficient and plant-friendly systems.
The design and characteristics of our tools are very confidential, and we exclusively reserve the primacy of their presentation for our partners. Some are already operational; others will be presented during the year 2021, namely at the Word Expo in Dubai (October 2021) and in 2022.
Following the I.C.B.A report, we have designed a very powerful tool capable of injecting the crystals of RAINCATCHER® under any type of tree in less than 5 minutes, the injectors dose to the necessary depth. We will therefore be able to treat the palm trees of the Arabian Peninsula, cocoa trees which suffer more each year from recurring droughts, or the increasingly dry forests of Central Europe, even Californian and Australian experiencing an increase in seasonal forests wildfires.
We are currently developing cutting-edge tools for other types of plants that will allow us, for example, to apply RAINCATCHER® on grassy surfaces such as golf courses, sports fields or even parkland. Micro-doses will be distributed over a specific mesh with RC GREEN, thus expanding the lawns and reducing their irrigation needs.
In the spirit of standardizing our tools, we also have rudimentary, yet very subtle systems that make it possible to develop food crops. Considering the increase in global warming, most irrigation systems are constrained by significant evaporation. We have a Solution that allows significant development of the root mass of a crop while very precisely controlling irrigation by limiting natural evaporation.
Each of these tools constitutes crucial components of the RAINCATCHER® Solution.