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Water Pearls

WaterPearls are the result of 25 years of pioneering research. With the goal of providing a robust, sustainable and natural means to enhance Agricultural productivity and increase Water Efficiency. The answer was the engineering of a proprietary, organic diblock-polymer bead.


This is a patented technology, completely inert and long lasting, with innate super hydrophobic characteristics that are key to applications throughout the cultivation process.


WaterPearls are the size of small grapes, UV biodegradable, inert and made of organic compounds, mainly simple sugar.

 

Reduce Evaporation

Agriculture consumes about 70% of the worlds fresh water, and 

30% to 50% of this precious water is lost to evaporation.


WaterPearls 

  • prevent evaporation, 
  • reduce water input by up to 50%, 
  • keep the soil moist for optimal nutrient use and plant growth, 
  • are almost maintenance-free, 
  • last for 50 years!


Providing a robust, sustainable and natural means to enhance plant & crop productivity and increase water efficiency, 

 

Eliminate Evaporation from Evaportranspiration

Transpiration is a driving force in a plant’s lifecycle. When irrigating a crop, excess water is allotted to it in order to ensure maximum humidity content in the soil. Surface level water evaporation poses multiple threats to efficient plant growth:

  • As water evaporates from the soil nearing the surface, the plant must expend extra energy growing root systems deeper into the soil in order to nourish itself.
  • Water vapor produced as a result of this increases the surrounding humidity in the air and will increase transmission of disease to neighboring plants especially in greenhouses.
  • That water vapor acts as a greenhouse gas, carrying heat into the upper troposphere and upon condensation it returns to the earth as rain at a different location, not recharging the water table from where it came. These effects are especially pronounced in arid climates.

Orchards & Vineyards

By planting a crop with a layer of "Water Pearls" on the soil surface, a water permeable, breathable barrier is created that dramatically reduces water evaporation losses (in excess of 85%). 


WaterPearls reduce water consumption between 30-50% by limiting the effects of evaporation coupled with a 20-30% increase in plant yield translates directly into a peerless efficiency in management of freshwater resources in agriculture.


As a result, using the WaterPearls as an evaporation barrier results in "more crop per drop of water".

 

WaterPearls impact
on Soil Moisture

Macadamia Orchard Qld Australia


This trial was conducted using a Control plot and a plot with WaterPearls in mats, with the mats place 50mm below the surgface.


The water was applied via a Surface Dripper Irrigation System with emitter spaced at every 50cm.


The observed difference between the in-soil moisture above and below the WaterPearls mat versus the control can be explained by the way WaterPearls modify vertical water movement and evaporation dynamics. Below is a breakdown of how to interpret and explain these numbers:

 

Water Pearls Trial - Moisture Observations

The above trail showed the following initial readings. Continuous loss of Deep Moisture was observed in the Control plot between watering cycles.


Location

Near-Surface Moisture

Deep Moisture

With WaterPearls (under topsoil)

7.5% (above mat)

16.9% (below mat)

Control (no WaterPearls)

12% (near surface)

17.7% (same depth as below mat)

Explanation of Findings

  1. Deep Percolation to root zone

The WaterPearls are not impeding water infiltration. Water is reaching the same depth in both cases. This is good – it confirms that deep percolation to the root zone is still occurring without interference.

  1. Reduced Upward Evaporation
    RHST WaterPearls act as a superhydrophobic barrier, disrupting the capillary rise of water. In normal soil (control), moisture can wick upwards due to capillary action, replenishing the near-surface layer and evaporating from there.
    In contrast, in the WaterPearls-treated soil:
        • The moisture from below is blocked or significantly slowed by the WaterPearls.
        • Surface/topsoil dries out faster since it's not being resupplied from below.
        • Hence, the surface moisture is much lower (7.5% vs. 12%).
  2. Moisture Retention Below the Barrier
    The moisture below the WaterPearls remains trapped and protected:
        • There's less upward loss, so even though it starts a bit lower than the control (16.9% vs. 17.7%), it will likely stay more stable over time.
        • This protected zone retains water for longer root access or delayed dry-down in drought conditions.
  3. Capillary Disruption Is Intentional

The design objective of the WaterPearls is not to retain surface moisture, but to preserve subsoil moisture and reduce total evapotranspiration losses.
The lower surface moisture reading confirms that less water is reaching the surface and being lost to evaporation.

  1. Control Has Higher Surface Moisture — but that’s the Problem
    In the control:
        • Moisture is free to move upward.
        • This results in a temporarily wetter surface but ultimately greater water loss to the atmosphere.

Conclusion:

 "The lower near-surface moisture content (7.5%) observed above the WaterPearls mat, compared to the control (12%), indicates a successful disruption of upward capillary movement and evaporation. The slightly lower sub-mat moisture (16.9% vs. 17.7%) suggests minimal water drawdown from the protected zone. Overall, this profile confirms that WaterPearls reduce evaporative losses by isolating subsoil moisture from surface exposure, maintaining available water for plant use while allowing the surface to dry—a desirable condition in water-scarce environments.

Almond Farm Demonstration California USA

The demonstration of the impact of WaterPearls was conducted using WaterPeral mats and moisture sensors.


This demonstration was conducted over a 10-week period in summer during which time there was no rain and all water was suplied via the surface irrigation system.

 

Weighted Average Soil Moisture Profile over a depth of 1.2m.


The blue shaded area shows the soil moisture conserved from the avoidance of evaporation.


The orange shaded area shows the soil moisture in the area without WaterPearl mats.


Demonstrating a significant reduction in the need for irrigation over the demonstration period