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Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies begins root zone heating trial on grapevines

Published: 00:40 17 Nov 2020 GMT

Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies Ltd -  Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies begins root zone heating trial on grapevines
Root Zone Temperature Optimisation (RZTO) technology being used at the site in Israel

Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies Limited (ASX:ROO) has initiated a pilot trial to test the effects of root zone heating of grapevines using its proprietary Root Zone Temperature Optimisation (RZTO) technology.

The pilot test is being undertaken on 220 plants over 2 years with results expected within 9 to 12 months, and if successful would allow the company to pursue opportunities with grape growers and wine producers globally.

The company could potentiall access a major market segment, with world wine production and consumption continuing to grow and the European wine market alone valued at US$159 billion per year and growing at a CAGR of 6.7%.

“A major step forward”

Roots executive chairman and CEO Boaz Wachtel said: “This pilot trial is a major step forward for Roots and any positive results have the potential to open up a number of opportunities for us in a very large market.

“We are confident that early study results, which will be reported in the coming months, will provide us with further validation of our technology and allow us to progress discussions with large grapevine growers and wine producers in Israel and across Europe.

“We continue to witness increased interested in our RZTO solutions as more countries and producers tackle the issue of food security and increase local cultivation to decrease reliance on exports.

“We look forward to providing further updates on R&D and commercial progress in the near term.”

The pilot program

The trial is being undertaken at Calmor grapes in North Central Israel and in collaboration with a leading vines researcher and academician Netzer Yishai.

The pilot will test 220 plants over a 1,000 square metres patch, in which half of the plants will be heated to 22-25°C range using RZTO technology with the other half used as a control group.

The trial is expected to last up to 24 months with early results expected within 9 to 12 months.

The company is confident that its RZTO technology will have a positive effect on the growth and yield of the heated plants, as previous studies have outlined grapevine with warmed root zones have shown accelerated leaf emergence, extended internodes and elongated shoots with larger leaves.

Root Zone Temperature Optimization

Root Zone Temperature Optimization (RZTO) optimises plant physiology for increased growth, productivity and quality by stabilising the plant’s root zone temperature.

Leveraging the principle of Ground Source Heat Exchange (GSHE), ROOTS installs a closed-loop system of pipes.

The lower part is installed at a depth where the soil temperature is stable and not affected by weather extremes, and the upper part in the target crop’s root zone just below the soil surface.

Water flowing through the lower pipes is charged by the soil’s stable temperature.

The heated water is pumped through the pipes installed in the root zone, where the heat is discharged.

This significantly increases yields, increases growing cycle planting options, improves quality, mitigates extreme heat and cold stress while significantly reducing energy consumption by stabilising and optimising the ROOTS zone temperature.

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